Hawaiian Islands Maritime Jurisdiction

2nd Act To Organize the Executive Departments of the Hawaiian Islands;

Part I – Department of Interior; Sect 1; Chapter VI;

Article I of the Statute Laws of His Majesty Kamehameha III King of the

Hawaiian Islands 1845- 1847

Entitled:

Of the Maritime Coast and the Enclosed Seas states:

§ I “The jurisdiction of the Hawaiian Islands shall extend and be exclusive for

the distance of one marine league seaward, surrounding each of the islands of

Hawaii, Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau;

commencing at low water mark on each of the respective coast of said islands.

The marine jurisdiction of the Hawaiian Kingdom shall also be exclusive in all

the channels passing between the respective islands, and dividing them;

which jurisdiction shall extend from island to island.” And

§ II “It shall be lawful for His Majesty to defend said closed seas and channels,

and if the public good shall require it, prohibit their use to other nations, by

proclamation.”

§ III “All captures and seizures made within the said channels or within one

marine league of the coast, shall be deemed to have been made, and all foreign

vessel entering therein, shall be deemed to have entered in His Majesty’s

waters. The civil and criminal jurisdiction shall be coextensive, with the one

maritime league, and the inter-island channels herein defined. And the right

of transportation and transshipment from island to island, shall exclusively

belong to the Hawaiian vessels duly registered and license to coasting trade,

as in the two succeeding articles prescribed.”