2000-02-09                     House Journal                      Page 2149
HB 360                                                                       
HOUSE BILL NO. 360 by the House Rules Committee by request of                  
the Governor, entitled:                                                        
                                                                               
"An Act relating to registration for commercial set gillnet fishing           
sites; relating to leases for shore fisheries development; and                 
providing for an effective date."                                              
                                                                               
was read the first time and referred to the House Special Committee            
on Fisheries and the Resources and Finance Committees.                         
                                                                               
The following fiscal notes apply:                                              
                                                                               
Zero fiscal note, Dept. of Fish & Game, 2/9/00                                 
Zero fiscal note, Dept. of Natural Resources, 2/9/00                           
                                                                               
The Governor's transmittal letter dated February, 8, 2000, appears             
below:                                                                         
                                                                               

2000-02-09                     House Journal                      Page 2150
HB 360                                                                       
"Dear Speaker Porter:                                                          
                                                                               
The current land leasing program for commercial set gillnet fishing            
sites carries considerable cost for the Department of Natural Resources        
(department).  In meeting restraints caused by recent budget cuts, this        
bill I transmit today replaces the shore fisheries leasing program with        
a self-executing registration system.                                          
                                                                               
                                                                               
A registrant is entitled to a revocable, noncompensable use privilege          
for the site, with priority over other commercial set gillnet fishers who      
have not registered that site.  The department would provide a system          
for recording site registration, but would not evaluate individual             
registrations or resolve conflicts between registrants regarding the           
priority of their use privileges for a particular site.  Instead, conflicts    
would be resolved by the courts or by any other lawful means.  The             
bill provides for a transition from the existing lease program to the          
registration system.                                                           
                                                                               
                                                                               
To register a site, a person must hold a valid salmon set gillnet limited      
entry permit for the fishery, mark the site with the fisher's name and         
limited entry permit number, submit a completed form with precise              
coordinates of the location of the fishing net, and pay a registration fee     
to be established by the department.                                           
                                                                               
                                                                               
When more than one valid registration is filed for a particular site           
during its first three years of registration, priority use would be            
determined by:                                                                 
                                                                               
Length of time each registrant has been set gillnet fishing in the            
area;                                                                          
                                                                               
Proximity of the registrant's past fishing sites to the registered            
sites, and;                                                                    
                                                                               
Present ability of the registrants to use the site to its maximum             
potential for commercial set gillnet fishing.                                  
                                                                               

2000-02-09                     House Journal                      Page 2151
HB 360                                                                       
The department would retain authority to process and issue leases for          
shore fisheries lease applications accepted and filed before the effective     
date of the Act.  Existing shore fisheries lessees could register the site     
under the new system before the expiration of their lease.                     
                                                                               
I urge your prompt and favorable action on this measure.                       
                                                                               
							Sincerely,                                                              
							/s/                                                                     
							Tony Knowles                                                            
							Governor"