Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green has signed into law the establishment of an Office of Marine Affairs, which will be dedicated to managing the state’s blue economy.
“It’s difficult to articulate just how important the ocean is to our people,” Green said following a 6 July bill signing. “That relationship is at the heart of Hawai‘i’s identity, shaping our communities in every way. Protecting marine health and utilizing resources sustainably and with intention is a necessary commitment to our past and our future.”
The legislation centralizes marine oversight within the office, which is tasked with governing the sustainable use of aquatic resources, supporting economic growth, and ocean preservation. The new law also states that Hawai‘i is “an ocean cluster,” establishing a Marine Affairs Governing Board within the Hawaiʻi Technology Development Corporation, a state agency that provides capital support to businesses to drive innovation.
The governor’s office said the move consolidates a previously fragmented approach to advancing the state’s blue economy.
“For generations, Native Hawaiians have understood that the health of our ocean and the well-being of our communities are deeply connected,” Majority Caucus Leader Representative Kirstin Kahaloa said in a release. “SB 2907 strengthens Hawaiʻi’s blue economy by bringing together government, industry, research, and Native Hawaiian knowledge to create good local jobs while protecting the ocean that sustains us.”
