Reshaping the Regulatory Framework for Hawaii Aquaculture – Water Quality Standards, Coastal Fishponds, and Shellfish Grounds

SPONSOR:
National Institute for Water Resources, Water Resources Research Institute Program

PROJECT PERIOD:
3/1/2011 - 2/28/2013

ABSTRACT:

The goal of our seed grant project was to establish a broad-based, collaborative effort to promulgate new water quality regulations that would provide for greater community self-reliance in aquaculture production while sustaining environmental health. The four main objectives that we've achieved in pursuing this goal were: (1) identifying the different types of water quality standards revisions that could be proposed, including a survey of the practices in other jurisdictions; (2) documenting procedural roadmaps and scientific information needs for each type of revision identified; (3) analyzing the potential for success in revising water quality standards for one or more coastal fishponds; and (4) estimating the resources needed to complete revisions on a wider scale.