03/27/2000 05:05 PM House FSH

HB 333 - DIVE FISHERY MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIRMAN HARRIS announced the  first order of business as House                                                              
Bill   333,  "An   Act  relating   to  the   accounting  for   and                                                              
appropriations  of the  dive  fishery management  assessment;  and                                                              
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 0121                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
GERON  BRUCE, Legislative  Liaison,  Office  of the  Commissioner,                                                              
Department of  Fish & Game, came  before the committee  to present                                                              
the bill.  This  is a piece of legislation that  the Department of                                                              
Fish  & Game  requested  and worked  on  in cooperation  with  the                                                              
Southeast  Alaska Regional  Dive  Fisheries Association  [SARDFA].                                                              
This  bill  is an  example  of  private  industry working  with  a                                                              
government  agency to  bring  about programs  that  both feel  are                                                              
beneficial.   He explained that  dive fishers in  Southeast Alaska                                                              
and  the department  were  both  frustrated  in that  attempts  to                                                              
expand  the [assessment]  of the  stocks were  limited because  of                                                              
funding.  As a result, dive fishers  stepped forward and indicated                                                              
their willingness to pay an assessment  above and beyond what they                                                              
already pay through normal fisheries  business taxes to go towards                                                              
stock assessment  and research to  help make additional  resources                                                              
available  and  to expand  the  fishery.   This  bill,  therefore,                                                              
reclassifies  the funds  collected under  the assessments  as non-                                                              
general fund program receipts.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0395                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIRMAN HARRIS  indicated that  the bill is  self-explanatory.                                                              
He entertained a motion to move it out of committee.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Number 0423                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BILL  HUDSON made a motion to move  HB 333, version                                                              
1-GH2022.A, out  of committee with individual  recommendations and                                                              
attached fiscal  notes; he asked  unanimous consent.   There being                                                              
no objection, HB 333 so moved from  the House Special Committee on                                                              
Fisheries.