Const. Art. XI, §6
State control of ocean and land resources
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗The State controls and manages marine, seabed, and other resources within Hawaii, including its waters. Public fishing is allowed in most state sea waters, except in fish ponds, enclosures, or licensed mariculture operations. The State can regulate fishing and take private rights for public use.
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The constitution, as written — Resources
A copy, taken August 21, 2026. The version published by the Legislature is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.
The State shall have the power to manage and control the marine, seabed and other resources located within the boundaries of the State, including the archipelagic waters of the State, and reserves to itself all such rights outside state boundaries not specifically limited by federal or international law. All fisheries in the sea waters of the State not included in any fish pond, artificial enclosure or state-licensed mariculture operation shall be free to the public, subject to vested rights and the right of the State to regulate the same; provided that mariculture operations shall be established under guidelines enacted by the legislature, which shall protect the public's use and enjoyment of the reefs. The State may condemn such vested rights for public use. [Ren and am Const Con 1978 and election Nov 7, 1978] Law Journals and Reviews Protecting Hawai`i's Fisheries: Creating an Effective Regulatory Scheme to Sustain Hawai`i's Fish Stocks. 29 UH L. Rev. 243. Propagating Cultural Kīpuka: The Obstacles and Opportunities of Establishing a Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area. 31 UH L. Rev. 193. Mai Kēia Manawa ā Mau Loa Aku: Kānaka Maoli Governance Through Nearshore Fisheries Management in Mo`omomi. 45 UH L. Rev. 185 (2022). Case Notes Private fishing rights not established under §96 of the Organic Act continue to be free to the public under this section. 48 H. 152, 192, 397 P.2d 593.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.