Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124
01/17/2024 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB169 | |
| HB177 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 177 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 169 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 169-FISHERIES REHABILITATION PERMIT/PROJECT
1:03:33 PM
CHAIR MCKAY announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 169, "An Act relating to certain fish; and
establishing a fisheries rehabilitation permit." [Before the
committee was CSHB 169(FSH).]
1:04:19 PM
MIKE CRONK, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, read the
sponsor statement for HB 169 [original punctuation provided]:
This legislation would allow individuals, Alaskan
corporations, school districts or other organizations
to apply for a fish rehabilitation permit through the
Dept. Fish & Game. If the commissioner grants a
permit, the individuals, Alaskan corporations, school
districts or other organizations would be allowed to
collect a limited number of fish, fertilize and hatch
the eggs and then place the un-fed natural fish back
into the water where they were taken. This will boost
the survival rate of the fertilized eggs to emergent
fry stage from around 5 percent to roughly 90 percent.
Similar types of fish rehabilitation permits are
already allowed by the department for scientific
research or other educational purposes, but these
purposes are limited and thus the data collection,
fish rehabilitation projects and fish population
information is limited. This bill allows the private
sector and the department to work together in a
responsible collaborative effort to increase the
natural salmon populations and scientific data
collection throughout the state.
This legislation will be one more tool that can be
used to ensure that we both today and, in the future,
maximize our resources as stated in our state
constitution. Thus, Alaskans will benefit from
Alaska's natural fish resources to help feed our
families.
1:06:32 PM
DAVE STANCLIFF, Staff, Representative Mike Cronk, Alaska State
Legislature, went through the changes in CSHB 169: Section 1,
subsections a-j; Section 2, subsection e; and Section 3.
1:10:02 PM
CHAIR MCKAY invited questions from the committee for
Representative Cronk.
1:10:09 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Representative Cronk to define what
are "existing propagating permits".
1:10:33 PM
MR. STANCLIFF explained that the permit is a new program that
would not conflict with any existing program. He said the idea
of HB 169 is to enhance salmon reproduction by 85 percent.
1:11:28 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER pointed to page five and inquired if the
plan is very expensive or elaborate and what would it take to
make it happen.
1:12:12 PM
MR. STANCLIFF replied the plan would be very fluid to maximize
the returns [of fish]. He pointed out the school districts get
involved to help teach students where salmon come from and how
to make more of them.
1:12:47 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked for more clarity about the plan
and how it relates to HB 169.
1:12:56 PM
MR. STANCLIFF answered that he tried to address the question
from Representative Rauscher but may have misunderstood.
1:13:05 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER said that he still didn't understand the
plan and asked Mr. Stancliff for an explanation of how the plan
would work.
1:13:18 PM
CHAIR MCKAY announced that staff from the Alaska Department of
Fish & Game was available to answer questions.
1:13:55 PM
FLIP PRYOR, Aquaculture Section Chief, Division of Commercial
Fisheries, of Alaska Department of Fish & Game introduced
himself to the committee and remained available for questions.
JOE FELKL, Legislative Liaison, Alaska Department of Fish & Game
introduced himself to the committee and remained available for
questions.
1:14:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER wanted more clarity on the plan and what
it would take to accomplish.
1:14:49 PM
MR. PRYOR directed the committee to the last page of HB 169 that
describes how existing regional hatcheries would continue with
current management plans and incorporate local knowledge into
the plan.
1:15:43 PM
CHAIR MCKAY asked Alaska Department of Fish & Game legislative
liaison, Mr. Felkl, to field the question.
1:15:48 PM
MR. FELKL described the last section of HB 169 as a conforming
amendment to existing regional salmon plans and rehabilitation
plans already in place.
1:16:17 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MEARS asked if a permit isn't issued in a certain
amount of time, then it does not come into effect. She also
asked if a number of permits came in, would the Alaska
Department of Fish & Game be able to keep up with granting those
permit applications.
1:17:02 PM
MR. PRYOR indicated each application is judged by its' own merit
and multiple applications in the same spot would be analyzed by
this brood-stock each year of the returning salmon. He said
these factors would be taken into consideration during permit
review.
1:17:40 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MEARS followed up with a comment that her
children went through the Anchorage school district with the
Fish-in-School-project by Alaska Department of Fish & Game.
1:18:07 PM
MR. PRYOR reiterated HB 169 would be an extension of the current
aquatic resources and the same processes for evaluation.
1:18:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE HB 169 is quite different than a regular
hatchery. He understood the genesis of the legislation arose
from an individual with a five-gallon bucket that began stocking
his own stream with fertilized salmon eggs in gravel bars.
Representative McCabe reassured the members that HB 169 would
work in concert with the existing hatcheries around the state
and would not serve as a mechanism to release too many eggs into
a spawning system.
1:19:52 PM
MR. PRYOR affirmed each regional hatchery has a plan for salmon
enhancement that would fall under the same umbrella as the HB
169 legislation.
1:20:18 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE observed that the difference between the
[five-gallon] "bucket plan" and a hatchery is this plan would
take fish eggs from the river and redeposit them back into the
same river.
1:21:17 PM
MR. PRYOR maintained another level of oversight is a permit for
fish transport and where they go. He said the difference is
that a permit is not necessary for the program proposed in HB
169.
1:22:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE said the "bucket plan" would seem to be
closer to nature with the limit of 500,000 eggs per person
instead of releasing eggs from all over the place into different
rivers.
1:23:01 PM
MR. PRYOR replied, yes.
1:23:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked for a primer on the different kinds
of permits for fish hatcheries.
1:23:46 PM
MR. PRYOR replied there is currently an aquatic resource permit
limited to vegetational facilities; the other permit is for
[undiscernible] project. He said HB 169 would assess
rehabilitation projects which aren't currently the focus of
Alaska Department of Fish & Game.
1:24:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked why the permits [undiscernible].
1:25:08 PM
MR. PRYOR replied it is all in the incubation period--after eggs
are fertilized, they are protected using streamside,
temperature-controlled incubator boxes safe from predators and
freezing conditions.
1:25:38 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER appreciated the sponsor's goals due to
the dire state of the salmon fisheries in Alaska.
1:26:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MEARS if the fiscal note cost of roughly $48,000
per year is for the processing of permits.
1:26:19 PM
MR. FELKL affirmed that the fiscal note allows for one part-time
biologist to be stationed in Juneau.
1:26:31 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MEARS had a science question and asked if there
are other things to consider on a small-scale with HB 169.
1:26:59 PM
MR. PRYOR replied, HB 169 is addressing egg and fry survival;
most places in Alaska where salmon are struggling are not due to
a habitat issue similar to the south, HB 169 would increase the
number of fry into the spawning system to enhance habitat.
1:27:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BAKER followed Representative Mears' comment
regarding the fiscal note that was coming out of the
unrestricted general fund. He wondered if the position could be
repurposed into an existing position at Alaska Department of
Fish & Game due to staff shortages in recent years.
1:28:21 PM
MR. FELKL said the statewide aquaculture permitting and planning
section has been reduced in past years. He said the Alaska
Department of Fish & Game has looked at other options and it was
determined that a part-time position is needed to do the
additional work.
1:28:45 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DIBERT said she was curious if this [program] was
happening elsewhere and if we can learn from other states across
the nation.
1:29:05 PM
MR. PRYOR was unfamiliar with other states but said it was
similar to aquatic resource permits that have been issued to the
Auke Bay Laboratory that produced fish over a 3-year period.
1:29:44 PM
CHAIR MCKAY invited Representative Cronk back to the testifiers
table to answer further questions.
1:30:08 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE asked Representative Cronk to elaborate on
how far salmon have to travel up the Yukon River to spawn and
why HB 169 is necessary for the Alaska Native community
subsistence, culture, and day-to-day existence. He used another
example from the Salcha River in the Interior that has one of
the highest Chinook salmon returns.
1:30:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK said the Yukon River is a really long river
with a lot of obstacles for salmon. He reported the Yukon River
is noticing the lowest returns of salmon in history and
fisherman haven't been able to subsistence-fish for Chinook in
three years with only a little fishing for Chum salmon. He
reemphasized the program design in HB 169 would essentially
double the salmon returns that are happening today. He insisted
in years past he had seen pictures of 40-60 lbs. female Chinook
in Eagle with a substantial amount of eggs, however the fish
returning in the last few years, have been much smaller with
fewer eggs. He said the essence of HB 169 is to return more fry
to the rivers. He said the most important fish--is the fish on
the table--HB 169 aims to continue that lifeway.
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK used the Gulkana Hatchery as a global
example that has produced millions of salmon in the Gulkana and
Copper Rivers that have reached the international market.
1:33:29 PM
CHAIR MCKAY invited closing comments.
1:33:35 PM
REPRESENATIVE CRONK appreciated the time and stated that Alaska
is at a crossroads and needs to do something and anything that
can benefit the fishery.
1:34:15 PM
CHAIR MCKAY thanked staff and set an amendment deadline for
January 22, 2024.
CHAIR MCKAY announced that HB 169 was held over.