It’s always been a precarious balance to strike, between the recreational and commercial uses of the beaches. Oahu’s beach parks are an economic asset, to be sure, one of the state’s chief tourism lures, and the film industry subsists on images captured through a lens trained toward the sea.

All of that said, it’s good to see that local recreational interests are given priority in City Council Bill 38, governing the use of beach parks on the island’s east shore. The measure is awaiting a final verdict from Mayor Rick Blangiardi.

He should sign the bill, or allow it to become law, even though it makes an exception for the regulated film industry that has drawn protest from other industries, such as weddings and other commercial photography.

The bill, passed recently by the Council, affects “city-owned or -operated beach rights-of-way and easements from Makapu‘u Point to Kapoho Point (Castle Point).” This translates to mean city property at Makapuu, Kaupo, Kaiona, Waimanalo, Hunananiho and Bellows Field beach parks.

Initially the proposal was to bar all commercial activity at those beaches, but the carve-out for “movie or television filming activities” was added after testimony from the Honolulu Film Office.

Walea Constantinau, the city’s film commissioner, cited the industry’s “intermittent and highly regulated” use of beaches and parks as the conduit for nearly $500 million of direct spending each year in the state’s economy. That’s an economic investment that the state should support.

The film office works closely with the Department of Parks and Recreation to “ensure that the activities are appropriate for the time and day requested,” Constantinau added.

The Waimanalo community should continue on its watch to confirm that this is so. Oversight must effectively maintain adequate public access to the shoreline.

Also keeping watch will be the commercial photography sector. They are feeling aced out by the larger film-industry companies that have greater economic footprint and influence. Clearly, this coastal region is a favorite setting for many photographers: The testimony included numerous sample photos to document that.

“A ban of this magnitude is devastating to Hawaii entrepreneurs and locals like myself,” Lauren Carson, an employee of an isle wedding and photography business, said in a hearing before the Council.

While that kind of disappointment is understandable, this area-specific ban really shouldn’t be devastating. Events, activities and photography are still permitted at many other beaches.

Should there be more comprehensive rulemaking that addresses various commercial uses at all the beaches? Perhaps, but that will take some doing, and so far it’s the communities themselves that have to drive this piecemeal policy work.

Councilmember Esther Kia‘aina, who represents Windward Oahu and is the bill’s sponsor, said that the problems settled for Kailua and Kalama beaches, where people were more worried about recreational vendors selling kayak rides, were wholly different. In Waimanalo, the community has spoken, and their message was that photography had gotten out of control.

Waimanalo should not have to wait and put up with problems until all communities had worked things out for themselves, she added, and that seems right.

“Good luck with the islandwide approach, because every beach is different,” Kia‘aina said.

As that process continues to play out around the island, surely accommodation must be made for various commercial activities. This is an island we share, and economics are a crucial part of the picture.

Again, it’s a question of balance — as difficult as that is.