03/19/2003 08:36 AM House FSH

HCR 11-ALASKA SALMON DAY                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON announced that the first order of business would be                                                                
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 11, Relating to Alaska Salmon                                                                   
Day.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Number 0072                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLY WOLF, Alaska State Legislature, as sponsor                                                                 
of HCR 11, provided the following testimony:                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Alaska is  the largest  commercial wild  salmon fishery                                                                    
     in the  world.  Nearly  95 percent of  all commercially                                                                    
     caught salmon  in the United States  are harvested here                                                                    
     in  Alaska waters.   In  the last  decade state  salmon                                                                    
     harvests  totaled   more  than  $4.5   billion,  making                                                                    
     Alaska's  salmon fishery  a  valuable  industry to  the                                                                    
     State of Alaska.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Last   year,   approximately   448,000   resident   and                                                                    
     nonresident  licenses  were  issued for  sport  fishing                                                                    
     alone  - bringing  another industry  to  the table  for                                                                    
     Alaska salmon.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     The proposal for  Alaska Salmon Day is  to promote that                                                                    
     Alaska's  wild salmon  is a  healthy  food, with  omega                                                                    
     vitamins.  The  intent behind this proposal  is to make                                                                    
     July 2nd  ... "Alaska Salmon Day,"  to promote catching                                                                    
     and eating  of salmon.   It's not an  allocation issue;                                                                    
     it's not  a "let's step  on either side of  the fence."                                                                    
     Its  intent  is  to  raise the  awareness  that  eating                                                                    
     salmon is healthy.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     I  hope you  have received  all of  the recommendations                                                                    
     for  this  -  from   Kenai  Peninsula  Borough,  Alaska                                                                    
     Seafoods,   United  Fishermen   of  Alaska,   Salamatof                                                                    
     Seafoods  Inc., United  Cook  Inlet Drift  Association,                                                                    
     and Pacific Star  Seafoods, Inc.  We  also have several                                                                    
     others coming in  at this time in support of  it.  ASMI                                                                    
     [Alaska  Seafood  Marketing Institute]  just  supported                                                                    
     this proposal, as well.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 0286                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON said she was amazed this idea had not been                                                                
thought of previously, since salmon are such an integral part of                                                                
Alaska's heritage.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WOLF replied  that this  idea had  been addressed                                                               
once before.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 0357                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SEATON said  he  thought  HCR 11  was  a  very good  idea,                                                               
stating  that   it  draws  attention  to   the  salmon  industry.                                                               
Furthermore, the stocks' are healthy,  and therefore the focus is                                                               
on improved salmon quality.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WOLF stated  that  HCR  11 is  a  way to  promote                                                               
Alaska wild salmon as a healthy food.   He added that he does not                                                               
fish commercially and he does not guide; he is "Joe fisherman."                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Number 0488                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BERKOWITZ  suggested that  if  the  intent is  to                                                               
promote wild salmon,  then the word "wild" should  be included in                                                               
HCR 11.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WOLF  responded that  all  salmon  in Alaska  are                                                               
considered wild because  Alaska does not currently  allow for the                                                               
farming   of  salmon.      However,  Representative   Berkowitz's                                                               
suggestion is worth looking into, he said.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 0545                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ  moved to  adopt a  conceptual amendment                                                               
such that Alaska  Salmon Day would be called  "Alaska Wild Salmon                                                               
Day".                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WOLF stated  that he  had no  problem considering                                                               
this to be a friendly amendment.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 0599                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON asked  if there was any objection  to the conceptual                                                               
amendment.  There being no objection,  it was so ordered that the                                                               
word "wild" be incorporated throughout the resolution.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 0618                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON moved to report  HCR 11, as amended, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  note.    There  being no  objection,  CSHCR  11(FSH)  was                                                               
reported from the House Special Committee on Fisheries.