02/09/2005 08:30 AM House FISHERIES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB26 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 26 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES
February 9, 2005
8:35 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, Co-Chair
Representative Bill Thomas, Co-Chair
Representative Jim Elkins
Representative Peggy Wilson
Representative Woodie Salmon
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative John Harris
Representative Mary Kapsner
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Carl Moses
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 26
"An Act relating to short-term commercial fishing crewmember
licenses; and providing for an effective date."
- HEARD AND HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 26
SHORT TITLE: SHORT-TERM COM FISHING CREWMEMBER LICENSE
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) MOSES BY REQUEST
01/10/05 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 12/30/04
01/10/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/10/05 (H) FSH, RES, FIN
02/09/05 (H) FSH AT 8:30 AM CAPITOL 124
WITNESS REGISTER
ADAM BERG, Staff
to Representative Carl Moses
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 26 on behalf of the sponsor,
Representative Moses.
BRUCE GABRYS, Vice President
United Cook Inlet Drift Association
Eagle River, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 26.
ROLAND MAW, Executive Director
United Cook Inlet Drift Association
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 26.
LARRY CALVIN
Sitka, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 26.
ERIC JORDAN
Sitka, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 26.
LIZ CHASE
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 26.
GERON BRUCE, Deputy Director
Commercial Fisheries Division
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during discussion of HB
26.
ACTION NARRATIVE
CO-CHAIR GABRIELLE LEDOUX called the House Special Committee on
Fisheries meeting to order at 8:35:18 AM. Representatives
Thomas, LeDoux, Elkins, and Wilson were present at the call to
order. Representative Salmon arrived as the meeting was in
progress.
HB 26 - SHORT-TERM COMMERCIAL FISHING CREWMEMBER LICENSE
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 26, "An Act relating to short-term commercial
fishing crewmember licenses; and providing for an effective
date."
8:35:56 AM
CO-CHAIR THOMAS moved [to adopt CSHB 26, Version 24-LS0181\G,
Utermohle, 2/4/05 as the working document]. There being no
objections, Version G was before the committee.
8:36:39 AM
ADAM BERG, Staff to Representative Carl Moses, Alaska State
Legislature, testified on behalf of Representative Moses,
sponsor of HB 26. He explained that HB 26 allows the purchase
of one-day or three-day short-term commercial fishing crewmember
licenses. Currently a yearlong license is the only license
available, costing $60 for a residents and $180 for a
nonresident; HB 26 sets the short-term license prices at $30 for
a one-day license and $50 for a three-day license [regardless of
residency]. Mr. Berg stated that the proposed short-term
licenses would help commercial fishermen by giving them an
opportunity to charge tourists to come work on a commercial
fishing boat and "see the Alaska fishing industry up close and
hands-on". He said that the bill also helps fishermen who need
temporary, short-term help by allowing relatives, visitors to
Alaska, or friends to assist on a short-term basis in a more
affordable way.
8:38:03 AM
CO-CHAIR THOMAS referred to Section [3] which read as follows:
During the period for which the license is valid, a
person who holds a one-day crewmember fishing license
or a three-day crewmember fishing license may not
engage in fishing with a rod and reel while present on
a commercial fishing vessel.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS stated, "I was under the impression, even when I
was on board, that I could not legally jig for fish unless I had
sport license. ... Have I been wrong for 35 years?"
MR. BERG responded, "I don't know all the details of this." He
explained that [this sentence] is geared toward the hand troll
fleet in southeast. He said, "Charter operators were really
worried about people going out on a hand troller where you can
fish with rods. They were worried about people trying to get
around king salmon stamps. They were worried about allocations
between commercial and sport on the king and coho fishing."
8:39:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ELKINS asked if a boat [operator] would need a
six-pack license.
MR. BERG replied in the affirmative and added that a boat for
hire needs to meet a number of Coast Guard requirements
including: possessing a six-pack [or operator's] license, be
enrolled in some type of drug-testing operation, and have
additional flotation devices. He said that insurance isn't
required but strongly recommended.
8:40:15 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX asked if this would cause safety concerns by
encouraging people to go out fishing who have [no boating
experience].
MR. BERG replied that it is the permit-holder's responsibility
to evaluate the [level of experience] of tourists boarding the
boat. He said, "Since profit is always your bottom-line
commercial fishing, I think that most fisherman ... would make
sure these people weren't going to be a hindrance to their
operation."
8:41:05 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX remarked that she has received comments from her
community [Kodiak] stating that a one-day or a three-day license
isn't long enough due to weather delays. She asked if the
sponsor would mind if the bill was changed to allow for a three-
day and a five-day license instead of the shorter licenses.
MR. BERG replied that the sponsor wouldn't mind such changes.
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON commented that some of her constituents
have voiced concern that short-term crewmember license holders
would be allowed to fish with a rod and reel on a commercial
boat, so she appreciated the adjustments that were made.
8:42:15 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX [made a motion to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1
in which the words in Section 3 on page 2 reading "one-day" are
changed to "three-day" and the words in Section 3 on page 2
reading "three-day" are changed to "five-day". No objection was
stated and the amendment was treated as adopted.]
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX turned to public testimony.
8:44:06 AM
BRUCE GABRYS, Vice President, United Cook Inlet Drift
Association, stated that he has been a Cook Inlet Drift
fisherman for 20 years. He commented that he is pleased with HB
26. He said that during the peak of the fishing season,
fishermen often pick up crew who work for only a few days; "This
[bill] provides an affordable method for us to provide that
additional crew." He added that drift fishermen are now icing
and bleeding fish onboard, and during the heavy runs that work
requires extra hands. In regard to the safety issues, he said
fishermen are already picking up short-term crew, and the
skipper is responsible to assess the safety and skills of that
crew.
8:45:34 AM
MR. GABRYS stated that currently visitors onboard a commercial
fishing boat cannot participate or even touch a fish "and that
really diminishes the experience for them." He comments that
this bill would provide an affordable way for visitors to
participate in the fishery.
MR. GABRYS noted that the effective date for the bill is July 1,
2005, and commented that he would like the licenses to become
available by or before then because he has relatives visiting
him this summer whom he would like to afford them the
opportunity of going commercial fishing.
MR. GABRYS said that the addition of the "rod and reel" sentence
to the bill was a good change. He said that he also agreed with
the extension of the license term to three to five days; that
would provide some weather flexibility. He remarked that he was
disappointed with the cost of the short-term licenses; he would
prefer that the [proposed] three-day license cost $15 and the
five-day license cost $30.
8:48:07 AM
ROLAND MAW, Executive Director, United Cook Inlet Drift
Association, complemented Representative Moses for HB 26. He
noted that this bill was before the committee last year and
there were concerns; he said that he is glad to see that some of
the unforeseen consequences dealing with the rod and reel issue
in the southeast have been accommodated. He said that he thinks
the current bill is better than last year's similar bill.
MR. MAW remarked that setnetters, drifters, and seiners in the
Upper Cook Inlet are involved in the Kenai Wild program, which
involves icing and bleeding fish at the point of harvest. He
said that this [level of care for the fish] makes quite a
difference in the price that the fishermen are paid for the
fish. He said that there are four grades of fish: premium,
choice, select, and standard. He explained that the standard
fish were previously known as "number ones", so the fishermen
are "actually trying to put into the marketplace three ...
grades of fish higher than the old number one". He commented
that this means the fish have to go immediately from the net
into a slush or icing, or they have to be bled, and that all
takes time and effort. He explained that usually at the
beginning and end of runs, having two or three people onboard is
adequate, but during the peak of the run many boats are unable
to accommodate the Kenai Wild program due to lack of crew.
Therefore at the peak of the run the captain may need to add
another crewmember or two to handle the fish to maintain the
quality of the fish. He concluded that having the ability to
add another crewmember for a few days is an important economic
issue for the drift fleet, and possibly the beach sites as well.
MR. MAW noted that many fishermen have people on board their
boats quite often and he stated that the experience of these
people would be improved if they could help. He said that
currently a person without a crewmember's license cannot tough
the rigging on the boat and can't even tie the boat to the dock,
so the short-term license would give fishermen some relief.
8:52:13 AM
MR. MAW commented that a lot of boats' skippers have U.S. Coast
Guard certification, 100-ton masters licenses, insurance, and
emergency position indicating radiobeacons (EPIRBS). He stated
that he also supports the amendment to allow for three-day and
five-day licenses. He referred to Section 5 of the bill which
read in part:
The Department of Fish and Game may collect an
additional administrative fee of $3 for each one-day
or three-day crewmember fishing license
MR. MAW asked if this $3 was in addition to the $30 and $50
license fees, or it the fees included the $3.
MR. BERG replied that the $3 fee is an add-on just for 2005,
assuming that the effective date is during this calendar year.
The crewmember licenses have already been sent out to their
vendors, so the $3 is an administrative cost to help [the
vendors] recover costs for the year.
8:53:43 AM
LARRY CALVIN, Sitka, Alaska, said that he is a commercial
troller and the owner of the Fisherman's Quay in Sitka. He
remarked that he has no interest in charging anyone to take them
out fishing; he is, however, interested in the educational
possibilities of the bill. He said:
I would encourage passage of this bill that would be
one small step in the very difficult trail of
educating the general population in the nuances of the
salmon industry. Allowing people to have hands-on
experience of catching, cleaning, and icing down fish
is an occasion they will never forget and will pass
their new insight on to others. My commercial fishing
[began] ... 56 years ago. I've been involved in some
degree through the years. I no longer fish hard and
long hours, but I do enjoy taking people out and
educating them in the different types of salmon and
the proper care ... to provide quality fresh fish.
This section of bill 26 will be an asset to our
industry and provide a great experience for many
people.
8:55:21 AM
ERIC JORDAN, Sitka, Alaska, stated that he is a lifelong Alaska
resident and has been involved in the commercial fisheries his
whole life. He noted that he has also done a little guiding and
a lot of sport fishing. He said:
I really want to thank Representative Moses and his
staff, particularly his aide, Adam Berg, for working
with me. I had some concerns about this bill,
particularly in regard to the loophole it opened up
for use of rod and reel, especially in the southeast
hand troll fisheries to basically circumvent the needs
to buy sport fish licenses and also the sport fish
limits. And I think the language that Representative
Moses and Adam have worked out really solves that
problem and I greatly appreciate it. I support the
bill as written. I have a couple of comments. In
Southeast Alaska, in our high quality troll fisheries,
the duration of our trips is usually ... three to five
days, and a three-day permit, ... if we're out four-
days, would not allow a person to go on one trip,
whereas a five or six day license or even a seven-day
license would permit that. So you might think of
extending that ..., something that would allow us to
take people for one trip, on the duration of it.
Otherwise I really like the bill; I like what it does
on the educational aspect. I'm really glad to see our
gillnet friends starting to chill and bleed their
fish; of course we've been doing that a long time in
the troll fishery. I've also been an educator for a
long time and taking people out to see the take we
take of our high quality Alaska salmon is nothing but
good for us. So I think this bill serves to
accommodate people, ... promotes our industry, and
educates the public as to the high quality of Alaska
salmon.
8:58:09 AM
LIZ CHASE, Kenai, Alaska, stated that she is commercial
fisherman on the Kenai Peninsula and she supports HB 26. She
said that for the last five years she has been running a free
tour to educate tourists on the peninsula. She said that many
of them ask if they can come on the boat but they can't, and she
has to explain the high cost of crew licenses to have them
legally board the boat. She said that she would also support
having the short-term license extended to one week.
8:59:32 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX closed public testimony and turned to the
committee for discussion.
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON commented that in southeast a fishing trip
is often about seven days, so it would be nice if the short-term
licenses covered that time.
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX remarked that the committee might wish to get
some input from Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G).
REPRESENTATIVE SALMON stated that since a number of people
suggested that the proposed short-term license be extended,
perhaps the committee should do so. He said that he thinks it
would be good experience for the children [to go short-term
fishing].
9:01:09 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX asked if there was anyone from ADF&G at the
meeting who would be available to comment.
GERON BRUCE, Deputy Director, Commercial Fisheries Division,
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, remarked:
This bill ... would provide some benefits to the
commercial fishing industry and the department is
supportive of anything that will move the industry
forward towards more a profitable condition, and
enhance appreciation for the product that it produces.
... We're very supportive of what the legislation is
trying to accomplish.
MR. BRUCE, in response to Representative LeDoux, replied that
the department doesn't have a strong position on the length of
the license. He noted that he would advise the committee to
consider the cost of the existing licenses and provide some kind
of balance. If it is the legislature's decision to make the
license good for seven days rather than three, he said that the
department has no problem with it.
9:02:39 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX asked if it would be feasible to have licenses
for three, five, or seven days. Additionally, she asked what
would happen if a trip lasted longer than anticipated.
MR. BRUCE remarked that he thought such a program would be
difficult to administer by the department, and some problems for
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Protection too. He stated that he would
prefer that the committee set a limit that would accommodate
most trips and have [a law] that is clear and consistent.
9:03:40 AM
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked for Mr. Bruce's opinion of having three
short-term licenses: three-day, five-day, and seven-day
licenses. When he goes fishing, he explained, it takes at least
a day to get to and from a fishing site, and five days would not
be enough to complete the trip.
MR. BRUCE stated that the department will implement whatever the
legislature decides. He remarked that it could be
administratively complex [to have three different types of
short-term licenses]. Because the licenses are sold through
vendors, the more licenses to be sold, the cost rises. He
recommended that, from an administrative standpoint, the fewer
the options the better.
9:05:39 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX stated that she is open to considering another
amendment that would further change the lengths of the licenses.
REPRESENTATIVE ELKINS suggested that the committee make the
following conceptual amendment: under Section 3, add another
option of a seven-day license for a $75 fee. This way there
will be three options for short-term licenses.
MR. BRUCE stated that the department could accommodate three
options; however, he pointed out that the annual resident
crewmember license is $60, so if a short-term licenses costs
more than that, a resident will not be interested in it.
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX remarked that this bill impacts nonresidents
more than residents since there isn't much of a cost difference
for the residents.
CO-CHAIR THOMAS commented that, during the peak fishing season,
the locals are usually already burned out and therefore captains
will pick up "somebody that's drifting through town, that's
backpacking Alaska and wants to go out and have this
experience."
9:08:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SALMON stated that since the annual crewmember
license costs $60, it seemed appropriate to have a seven-day
short-term license costing $30. He commented that weather
delays can be problematic in Alaska.
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON said that maybe there could be only one
short-term license option, and "if they happen to go out one day
or if they happen to go out seven days, that won't make any
difference; that will give them that option. It would probably
be a lot easier for [ADF&G] to administer, and it would just be
easier all around."
CO-CHAIR THOMAS opined that it would be a good idea to offer a
seven-day license for $35.
9:11:17 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX withdrew Conceptual Amendment 1 and offered
Conceptual Amendment 2 to "change this bill to read, 'seven
days, $35'". [HB 26 was held over and Conceptual Amendments 1
and 2 were not addressed at the subsequent committee meeting.]
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Fisheries meeting was adjourned at 9:11:49
AM.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|