03/30/2004 03:06 PM House HES

SCR 19-SUPPORTING FISHERIES EDUCATION                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 1010                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION  NO. 19, Relating to  the support of                                                               
fisheries  education,  training,  and  research  and  encouraging                                                               
collaborative  efforts  between  the  state,  the  University  of                                                               
Alaska, and  other educational institutions to  provide fisheries                                                               
education programs.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 1070                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHERYL  SUTTON, Staff,  Joint  Legislative  Salmon Industry  Task                                                               
Force, Alaska  State Legislature, testified on  behalf of Senator                                                               
Gary  Stevens, sponsor  of  SCR  19.   She  commented that  Chair                                                               
Wilson and Representative Seaton have  already heard this bill in                                                               
a previous committee  and asked for their  assistance in ensuring                                                               
that all pertinent  information that she might  omit, be provided                                                               
to  the  members.   Ms.  Sutton  explained that  the  Legislative                                                               
Salmon Industry  Task Force  recommended this  resolution because                                                               
of  its   belief  in  the  importance   of  fisheries  education,                                                               
training, and  research as a long-term  solution for revitalizing                                                               
the  fishing and  seafood  industry.   She  added that  currently                                                               
there are no  educational institutions in the  United States that                                                               
offer  a seafood  business degree.    This resolution  recommends                                                               
that education providers in the  state collaborate to develop and                                                               
provide fisheries education programs in Alaska.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. SUTTON told  the members that in the  House Special Committee                                                               
on   Fisheries   Representative   Ogg  recognized   that   former                                                               
Representative Hermann  was the moving force  behind this effort.                                                               
She pointed out that there is a  zero fiscal note and that SCR 19                                                               
unanimously passed the Alaska State Senate.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 1121                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOLF  said that since no  educational institutions                                                               
offer seafood  business degrees,  he asked  if the  University of                                                               
Alaska  might  develop  an educational  curriculum  for  industry                                                               
professionals such as roe inspectors.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SUTTON  replied   that  is  precisely  what   SCR  19  would                                                               
encourage.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 1152                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  moved to  report SCR  19 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  SCR 19 was reported out of the                                                               
House Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.