Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 24, Number 10, 1 October 2007 — Bioprospecting meetings [ARTICLE]

Bioprospecting meetings

The State of Hawai'i Temporary Advisory Commission on Bioprospecting continues to hold statewide puhlie meetings under the chairmanship of OHA Trustee Walter Heen. Bioprospecting is the eolleetion of genetic information from samples of plants, animals and other land and sea organisms for the purpose of furthering research on products, including pharmaceutical substances. This has prompted eoneem that natural resources, whieh are gathered by Hawaiians for lā'au lapa'au, or traditional herbal medicine, may be used by commercial businesses without prior informed consent or the equitable sharing of proceeds within the indigenous community. Increased bioprospecting activity in Hawai'i and elsewhere prompted the Legislature to create a commission, tasked with soliciting puhlie input. Thus far,

discussions at meetings on Maui and Hawai'i Island have included such topics as sharing of bioprospecting benefits as well as improving regulations and permitting processes, whieh currently do not specifically govern bioprospecting in Hawai'i. The schedule of upcoming meetings is: • Kaua'i: Tues., Oct. 9, 68:30 p.m.; Kaua'i Community College Tech Building, rm. 114; • Moloka'i: Tues., Oct. 30, 6-8:30 p.m.; OHA/DHHL Conference Room, Kūlana 'Ōiwi; • O'ahu: Tues., Nov. 20, 6-8:30 p.m.; Leeward Community College; - Tues., Nov. 27, 6-8:30 p.m., Windward Community College.