HB 89: "An Act relating to standards for chilling and delivery of commercially caught salmon; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 89 01 "An Act relating to standards for chilling and delivery of commercially caught salmon; 02 and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 05 to read: 06 FINDINGS AND INTENT. (a) The Alaska State Legislature finds that 07 (1) it is essential that the Alaska salmon industry produce a high quality 08 seafood product in order to maintain the value and reputation of Alaska salmon throughout 09 the world and stay competitive in the market; 10 (2) the most effective means for fishermen to maintain the highest quality of 11 salmon are to chill salmon using ice, refrigerated sea water, chilled sea water, or other chilling 12 processes and to deliver salmon promptly to a processor after the salmon are caught; 13 (3) mandatory standards for chilling of salmon at the time of capture will 14 impose significant costs on the Alaska salmon fishing fleet for the acquisition, installation,
01 and maintenance of the equipment necessary to comply with the chilling standards; and 02 (4) assistance and funding must be made available to the Alaska salmon 03 fishing fleet so that it can afford to come into statewide compliance with the mandatory 04 chilling standards by January 1, 2008. 05 (b) It is the intent of the Alaska State Legislature to seek and encourage support in 06 the form of grants, loans, and technical assistance from federal, state, and other sources to 07 offset the significant costs of modernizing the Alaska salmon fishing fleet to meet the 08 mandatory standards for chilling of salmon to be established under this Act. 09 * Sec. 2. AS 17.20 is amended by adding a new section to read: 10 Sec. 17.20.069. Standards for chilling and delivery of salmon taken in a 11 commercial fishery. The commissioner, after consultation with the Alaska Seafood 12 Marketing Institute, shall develop mandatory standards for chilling of salmon at the 13 time of capture, prompt delivery of salmon to a seafood processing facility after the 14 salmon is caught, or both chilling at the time of capture and prompt delivery to a 15 seafood processing facility. 16 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 17 read: 18 ADOPTION OF SALMON CHILLING AND DELIVERY STANDARDS. The 19 commissioner of environmental conservation shall adopt by regulation salmon chilling and 20 delivery standards under AS 17.20.069, added by sec. 2 of this Act, on or before January 1, 21 2004. The commissioner shall implement the standards throughout the state by January 1, 22 2008. 23 * Sec. 4. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).