Legislature(2023 - 2024)GRUENBERG 120
03/14/2023 10:00 AM House FISHERIES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB92 | |
| Presentation(s): Alaska's Commercial Hatcheries by Department of Fish and Game and the Alaska Salmon Aquaculture Alliance. | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 92 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES
March 14, 2023
10:01 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Sarah Vance, Chair
Representative Kevin McCabe
Representative CJ McCormick
Representative Ben Carpenter
Representative Craig Johnson
Representative Louise Stutes
Representative Rebecca Himschoot
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 92
"An Act relating to claims against protection and indemnity
insurance policies of vessel owners."
- MOVED CSHB 92(FSH) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PRESENTATION(S): ALASKA'S COMMERCIAL HATCHERIES BY DEPARTMENT OF
FISH AND GAME And The ALASKA SALMON AQUACULTURE ALLIANCE.
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 92
SHORT TITLE: FISHERMEN'S FUND: VESSEL OWNER CLAIMS
SPONSOR(s): FISHERIES
03/01/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/01/23 (H) FSH, L&C
03/07/23 (H) FSH AT 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120
03/07/23 (H) Heard & Held
03/07/23 (H) MINUTE(FSH)
03/14/23 (H) FSH AT 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120
WITNESS REGISTER
VELMA THOMAS, Administrator
Fishermen's Fund Advisory and Appeals Council
Division of Workers' Compensation
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: On behalf of the sponsor, House Special
Committee on Fisheries, spoke to CSHB 92, Version B.
CHARLES COLLINS, Director
Division of Workers' Compensation
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: On behalf of the sponsor, House Special
Committee on Fisheries, spoke to CSHB 92, Version B.
JERRY MCCUNE, Lobbyist
Cordova District Fishermen United
Cordova, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided testimony in support of HB 92.
MIKE WELLS, Executive Director
Valdez Fisheries Development Association
Valdez, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented a PowerPoint on Alaska's
salmon hatcheries.
SCOTT WAGNER, General Manager
Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association
Sitka, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented a PowerPoint on Alaska's
salmon hatcheries.
BILL TEMPLIN, Chief Fisheries Scientist
Division of Commercial Fisheries
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented a PowerPoint, titled "Research
Update: Potential Hatchery Effects on Natural Systems."
ACTION NARRATIVE
10:01:26 AM
CHAIR SARAH VANCE called the House Special Committee on
Fisheries Committee meeting to order at 10:01 a.m.
Representatives McCabe, Johnson, Stutes, and Vance were present
at the call to order. Representatives Carpenter, Himschoot, and
McCormick joined as the meeting was in progress.
10:02:18 AM
The committee took a brief at-ease.
10:03:34 AM
HB 92-FISHERMEN'S FUND: VESSEL OWNER CLAIMS
10:03:34 AM
CHAIR VANCE announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 92, "An Act relating to claims against protection
and indemnity insurance policies of vessel owners."
10:03:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 92, Version 33-LS0520\B, Marx, 3/9/23,
("Version B") as a working document.
CHAIR VANCE objected for the purpose of discussion.
10:04:24 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE stated that Version B would change the
amount [of insurance reimbursements from the Fishermen's Fund
("fund")] from $10,000 to $15,000.
CHAIR VANCE added that changes in Version B would increase the
claims by the vessel owners and crewmembers to $15,000. She
requested that a representative from the Department of Labor and
Workforce Development (DOLWD) speak to the proposed changes.
10:06:26 AM
VELMA THOMAS, Administrator, Fishermen's Fund Advisory and
Appeals Council, Division of Workers' Compensation, Department
of Labor and Workforce Development, presented a graph [from a
previous presentation, copy included in the committee packet]
which showed the worse-case scenario [for the Fishermen's Fund
if the reimbursement amount was changed to $15,000]. She stated
that the graph is based on the recent nine-year average. She
mentioned the direct effect from the three years of the COVID-19
pandemic on the number of claims received. Concerning the
proposed legislation, she expressed uncertainty whether it would
present a risk of spending down the fund.
10:07:43 AM
CHARLES COLLINS, Director, Division of Workers' Compensation,
Department of Labor and Workforce Development, reminded the
committee that in all financial markets past performance is not
indicative of future growth or loss. On behalf of DOLWD, he
stated that the department has no opinion on the proposed
legislation. He added that the Fishermen's Fund Advisory and
Appeals Council ("council") has expressed the desire to raise
the vessel owner's reimbursement to $10,000. He added that the
crewmember reimbursement has been capped at $10,000 for quite a
few years, so there is a historical view on this. He stated
that claims have fallen over the past couple of years; however,
there has also been less fishing activity.
10:08:45 AM
MS. THOMAS, in response to a question from Representative
Himschoot, noted that in 2010 when the council raised the limit
to $10,000, there was a concern [the fund would be effected
negatively]; however, she expressed the belief there is a
correlation between the advent of the Affordable Health Care Act
and the decrease in claims. She reiterated that this is just
her observation and there has been no study. She discussed this
idea further.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT questioned whether it would be easy
legislatively to reduce the reimbursement amount if the fund
drops too low.
CHAIR VANCE clarified that this would be a statutory change.
She explained the historical changes of insurance premiums for
the fund. She expressed the purpose of the fund is to support
the fishermen, and the idea behind the proposed legislation is
that costs and premiums have increased. As long as the fund
remains stable, she suggested, the idea of raising the amount
would be proactive.
MS. THOMAS, in response to a follow-up question, stated that the
vessel owner reimbursement was changed to $5,000 in 2018.
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES voiced trepidation about the additional
$5,000. She pointed out that there were not many claims during
the pandemic, along with less participation in the fisheries.
She argued that the fund should remain static, as opposed to
destabilizing the fund by increasing amounts too much.
10:12:48 AM
CHAIR VANCE, per the chart, expressed the opinion that the
health of the fund remains stable. She questioned the historic
number of claims that created the chart's projection.
MS. THOMAS responded that this reflects around 300 claims a year
over the past nine years. She continued that before 2014, the
claims were smaller, but there were more, around 400 to 600 a
year; however, she pointed out that at that time the fund was
worth less. She stated that because of the changes, this
comparison would be difficult to make.
10:14:25 AM
CHAIR VANCE suggested that if reimbursements are increased to
$15,000, with these projections, the fund appears stable, and it
would be helpful to the fishermen. She questioned, if it had to
be reduced statutorily, what the effects on the fishermen would
be.
MS. THOMAS expressed uncertainty because the information would
be difficult to gather.
MR. COLLINS pointed out that DOLWD and all other stakeholders
closely watch the fund. He suggested if there were a problem,
it would be addressed quickly. He said the fund is a unique
program within the state, and it is taken very seriously. He
pointed out that the drop in claims, less participants in the
fishery, and the rise in the costs are all factors to consider.
He expressed support for the projections and the idea that there
would not be a major impact on the growth of the fund. He then
suggested, "It only takes one bad claim."
10:17:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT questioned whether the legislature
would receive an annual update on the growth and management of
the fund.
MR. COLLINS said there is nothing in statute to create an annual
report; the only updates would be to the council.
REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER, from conversations with fishermen, he
expressed the understanding that there is support for an
increase in the reimbursement amounts if the fund's balance is
maintained. Per the projection, he weighed the value of the
fund for current fishermen versus the value for future
generations. He questioned the amount of money the fund needs.
He argued that if the fund grows exponentially, it would become
a target for other uses. He suggested that the fund be balanced
per the needs of the current generation along with the needs of
the future generation, while reducing the risk that the balance
becomes a target. He advised that, in consideration of the
rising cost of health care, this would be prudent. He further
explained his opinion of why the proposed legislation would not
put the fund in jeopardy.
10:21:16 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES expressed the opinion that it is critical
fishermen be the recipient of these funds, as opposed to others
looking to use the fund because of its size. She also expressed
the understanding that if the fund were in jeopardy, this would
be quickly addressed.
10:22:09 AM
CHAIR VANCE removed her objection. There being no further
objection, Version B was before the committee.
10:22:24 AM
CHAIR VANCE opened public testimony.
10:23:02 AM
JERRY MCCUNE, Lobbyist, Cordova District Fishermen United,
expressed support for the proposed legislation. He related that
in the past when the reimbursement amount was raised, this was
the result of high cost for fishermen. He noted that there is
no way to know the number of fishing injuries that will happen
in a year. He expressed the opinion that the fund would be able
to sustain the rise in reimbursements, and on behalf of Cordova
District Fishermen United, he expressed support.
10:23:50 AM
The committee took a brief at-ease.
10:24:07 AM
CHAIR VANCE, after ascertaining that there was no one else who
wished to testify, closed public testimony.
10:24:41 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE moved to report CSHB 92, Version 33-
LS0520\B, Marx, 3/9/23, out of committee [with individual
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes], giving
Legislative Legal Services the authority to make all technical
and conforming changes. There being no objection, CSHB 92(FSH)
was reported out of the House Special Committee on Fisheries.
10:25:11 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 10:25 a.m. to 10:29 a.m.
^PRESENTATION(S): Alaska's Commercial Hatcheries by Department
of Fish and Game and the Alaska Salmon Aquaculture Alliance.
PRESENTATION(S): ALASKA'S COMMERICAL HATCHERIES
10:29:45 AM
CHAIR VANCE announced that the final order of business would be
presentations on Alaska's commercial hatcheries by the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game and the Alaska Salmon Aquaculture
Alliance.
10:30:30 AM
MIKE WELLS, Executive Director, Valdez Fisheries Development
Association, co-presented a PowerPoint on Alaska's salmon
hatcheries [hard copy included in the committee packet]. He
began by addressing the history of Alaska's hatchery program,
regional hatchery production, and the economic impacts
hatcheries make in the state. He moved to slide 2 and pointed
out the eight private nonprofit aquaculture associations (PNPs).
He added that including the Sitka Sound Science Center this
would make nine PNPs. He noted that only some of PNPs are a
part of the Alaska Salmon Aquaculture Alliance. He explained
that the alliance works to increase the legislature's
understanding of hatchery programs. He continued that PNPs
operate 26 hatcheries in the state, which collectively address
all five species of Pacific salmon. He explained that the
hatcheries were created in response to the depressed salmon
fisheries in the state.
MR. WELLS read from Slide 3, titled "Alaska's Salmon Hatcheries:
A History." He stated that Alaska's hatchery program will be 50
years old next year, and there is still sustainable salmon
reproduction, as this was set as the program's original intent.
He moved to slide 4 and addressed the core mission of the
hatchery program, which is to sustainably enhance all the
fisheries while protecting wild stocks. He moved to slide 5,
which shows a graph of the recorded statewide salmon harvest
beginning in 1900 and going to 1975. He referenced the low
abundance years, and the increase with the advent of hatcheries
in the 1970s. He added that the wild stocks have also increased
since this time.
10:35:41 AM
MR. WELLS moved to slide 6, which showed the percentage of each
species produced by hatcheries statewide for the past year. He
explained why the majority of salmon produced by hatcheries are
pink and chum salmon, which in part is driven by fiscal
stability. In response to a committee question concerning the
high number of pink salmon released as opposed to more valuable
species, he stated that biologists have reviewed this. He
pointed out the stability of pink salmon production; however, he
observed that recently there has been decreases in numbers. He
suggested that this species, like all species, is subjected to
the environment. He continued that hatchery operators might not
be able to answer this question fully because of the
complexities of the issue.
10:39:16 AM
SCOTT WAGNER, General Manager, Northern Southeast Regional
Aquaculture Association, in response to a committee question
concerning the effect Russia and Asia has had on the returns in
the Yukon River, deferred the question to the Alaska Department
of Fish and Game (ADF&G), as the state is forming a task force
to do additional research on the issue. He recognized the
decrease in wild salmon stocks; however, he added that the
hatchery production, especially for pink and chum salmon in the
northern part of the Pacific Ocean, has remained relatively
stable since the 1990s. In response to a follow-up question, he
stated that this includes international hatchery fish.
10:42:46 AM
MR. COLLINS continued the presentation on Slide 6, stating that
subsistence and personal use comprise most of the noncommercial
harvest of hatchery produced sockeye salmon. He noted the high
numbers of hatchery coho salmon harvested. He moved to Slide 7
and expressed the opinion that the PNP hatchery programs
represent one of the most consistent and successful public-
private partnership models in the state's history. He added
that these programs produce salmon for every type of harvest at
no cost to the state. He added that the revenues generated by
the commercial harvest [of hatchery fish] go back into the
communities, making it a good return on the state's initial
investment.
MR. COLLINS moved to Slide 8, which addressed the regulatory
requirements for obtaining a hatchery permit. He stated that
this is under the control of ADF&G. He added that the species
and amount produced is under this control, along with all other
aspects of hatchery operations. He stated that operations are
reviewed annually along with an opportunity for public comment.
MR. COLLINS moved to Slide 9, which showed a graph of the
statistics on the releases from the four associations in
Southcentral Alaska. In response to a committee question, he
addressed the fry mortality in hatcheries. He gave the example
that the Solomon Gulch Hatchery in Valdez is permitted to take
around 270 million pink salmon eggs, of which after
fertilization, there is an expected 95 percent survival rate.
The marine survival rate is the number of fish that return, and
this average is around 6 percent. He stated that this would be
around 15 to 16 million fish for this facility. He explained
that around 95 percent of the fish do not survive because of
variabilities which exist in the natural environment.
10:48:39 AM
MR. COLLINS continued to slide 10 and addressed the positive
economic impacts that hatcheries have on Alaska's economy. He
pointed to a report that gave the estimate that annually all PNP
programs generate around $600 million in economic output and
provide around 4,700 jobs. Highlighting the associations in
Southcentral Alaska, he moved from slide 11 to slide 14 and
discussed the Valdez Fisheries Development Association, the
Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation, the Cook Inlet
Aquaculture Association, and the Kodiak Regional Aquaculture
Association. He discussed in detail the various hatcheries
these entities operate, the communities they support, and the
specifics of the salmon returns.
10:55:05 AM
MR. WAGNER addressed the production of the hatcheries in
Southeast Alaska, as seen on Slide 15. He pointed out that in
Southeast Alaska there are two regional associations, three
regional nonprofit hatcheries, and one federal research
hatchery. He stated that in contrast to Southcentral Alaska the
primary species of production in Southeast Alaska is chum
salmon. He added that the cost effectiveness of producing chum
salmon supports the more costly species of sockeye, coho, and
king salmon. He discussed the importance of the Pacific Salmon
Treaty in relation to hatchery salmon production in Southeast
Alaska. He moved to slide 17 and stated that these associations
annually produce an economic output of around $237 million and
they create around 2,000 jobs. He moved from slide 18 to slide
21 and reviewed the associations in the Southeast region, which
include Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association,
Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, and Douglas
Island Pink and Chum, Inc. He discussed in detail the various
hatcheries these entities operate, the communities they support,
and the specifics of the salmon returns.
MR. WAGNER addressed the up coming year and stated that the best
way to support the fisheries is for hatcheries to maintain their
cost recovery goals and maintain healthy strong salmon. He
stated that the associations support ADF&G's ongoing research.
In closing, he stated that Alaska's hatchery program would be
celebrating a 50-year anniversary next year. He advised that
the hatchery program was created to enhance wild production,
which has increased since the program's inception. He discussed
the value the program has added and the contributions it has
made to the salmon fisheries in the state.
11:03:23 AM
MR. COLLINS, in response to a committee question, stated that in
pink salmon production, these fry have a short-term rearing.
They are fed approximately four to five weeks, with food
manufactured in Washington State and Canada. In the six weeks
of rearing time, the hatchery in Valdez will use around 17,000
pounds of feed. He stated that there are some variables, such
as the water temperature. In response to two follow-up
questions, he stated that more information about each species of
salmon and about the amount of food being consumed will be
reported back to the committee, along with the statistics
concerning the commercial harvest, in relation to slide 6.
11:07:29 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 11:07 a.m. to 11:08 a.m.
11:08:57 AM
CHAIR VANCE introduced the next presentation.
11:09:39 AM
BILL TEMPLIN, Chief Fisheries Scientist, Division of Commercial
Fisheries, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), gave a
PowerPoint presentation, titled "Research Update: Potential
Hatchery Effects on Natural Systems" [hard copy included in the
committee packet.] He advised that the vast amount of
information on the subjects of hatchery research and pink salmon
competition have been condensed in the presentation. He
provided an overview, as seen on slide 2. He began by
addressing how the fisheries resources contribute to Alaska's
identity, as its preservation is written into the constitution
and creates the mission for ADF&G, as seen on Slide 4. He
stated that ADF&G's four main tasks are to protect, maintain,
improve, and manage the fish, game, and aquatic plant resources
in the state. He added that these four must be balanced in an
effective manner, with protection being the most important. He
moved to the next slide to point out that Alaska's hatchery
program must be managed as a balancing act as well. He
discussed the history of the fisheries in the state and pointed
out the contributing factors to the changes that have taken
place. He noted that much of the information had already been
presented to the committee in the previous presentation, and he
moved to slide 7. He pointed out the period of low production
in the salmon fisheries, followed by increases, and then the
long stable decades of production.
11:16:21 AM
MR. TEMPLIN pointed out the beginning of the Alaska Hatchery
Research Program (AHRP), which involves the two regions in the
state with the largest hatchery production: Southcentral Alaska
for pink salmon and Southeast Alaska for chum salmon. He
discussed the numbers of pink and chum salmon fry released over
the past four decades. On slide 8, he stated that Alaska's
hatchery program is structured by policies, processes, plans,
and permits and the three elements for monitoring the program
are management, fish health, and genetics. Moving to the next
slide, he stated that even with this structure, there has been
the fear that what has occurred in other hatchery projects would
occur in Alaska. He stated that it has been reported that a
large number of hatchery pink and chum salmon have been found in
wild streams, which raises the question of whether hatchery fish
have a negative effect on wild stocks in Alaska.
MR. TEMPLIN continued that because the studies were performed
outside of the state, a possible range of impacts has been
reported; however, he suggested that there are difficulties in
applying these studies to Alaska's situation. On slide 10, he
pointed out that most of these studies were not performed on
pink and chum salmon, as these species are difficult to study
because they spend very little time in hatcheries or in fresh
water. He suggested that the science in Alaska should be used
to study this because these other studies have used compromised
habitats with nonlocal and small brood stock populations, and
these factors effect genetics. He continued that Alaska has
different hatchery objectives and practices; therefore, a
different, comprehensive set of research was recognized to be
needed.
11:20:54 AM
MR. TEMPLIN noted that the hatchery operators approached ADF&G
about developing a plan, as described on slide 11. He pointed
out that a panel was assembled to address three questions. The
first question concerned the genetic background of the stock
structure and whether these genes have moved into the wild
populations, as seen on slide 12. He pointed out the results
and explained that the result for pink salmon is more "shallow"
than the result for chum salmon. He explained the effects in
the different spawning years. He pointed out the genetic
differences in chum salmon populations from all over the state.
MR. TEMPLIN addressed the second question of the variability of
straying in the two regions and districts within the regions.
Like other studies, he stated that hatchery fish were found
mingling with wild salmon in Alaska. He explained the maps on
slide 13 and noted that in the Prince William Sound region the
hatchery pink and chum salmon were only found in some of the
districts. He noted that the proportion of strays in the
Southeast region was more consistent across the region and low
across districts.
MR. TEMPLIN stated that the last question concerned the impact
on salmon fitness. He added that this question is more complex.
He pointed out the plots on the graph on slide 14, which
represent a set of samples, with different strains denoted. He
further explained the plotting system. He stated that the
takeaway from this is that hatchery fish have a lower fitness,
or productivity, in natural streams where they are about half as
productive. He stated that the results on chum salmon would be
available in 2024, as no analysis has been done yet. On the
next slide, he explained the validity and reliability of the
results, and where the results have been published.
11:29:09 AM
MR. TEMPLIN, in response to a committee question concerning why
hatcheries mostly rear pink and chum salmon, stated that one of
the most common explanations is these salmon have a short fresh
water life cycle; therefore, they require less maintenance. He
added that Prince William Sound is not as productive for chum
salmon, while the opposite is true for Southeast Alaska. In
addition, he stated that the Southeast Alaska pink salmon run is
large enough to not need a hatchery for support. In response to
a follow-up question on whether there is a difference in salmon
returning to mainland or island streams, he stated that patterns
found had more to do with which streams were chosen to be
represented and the proximity of the stream to a hatchery. He
stated that he would note the question for future study.
MR. TEMPLIN, in response to a question concerning the effect of
straying on wild stocks, pointed out the different proportions
of straying. He stated that there are several reasons for this.
One of the reasons is where streams are located in terms of
where the fish are coming in from the ocean. In addition, a
factor is the size of the return in the particular stream. He
stated that the effects are beginning to be understood, and this
would determine the management of fisheries in terms of
escapement. He stated that the question of the effects is still
being studied.
11:34:15 AM
MR. TEMPLIN continued to Slide 16 and addressed the application
of the science, of which he advised is complex. He stated that
AHRP is supplying scientifically credible information on the
interactions between hatchery and wild salmon; however, because
of the complexities, more than biology is needed to make
decisions. He pointed out that the social, economic, and
cultural aspects need to be considered when using the science,
as there would need to be a bridge between these aspects in
order to make decisions. To address this, he moved to slide 17
and pointed out questions not looked at by AHRP. He addressed
the department's assessment of risks concerning what was learned
from the study, and he pointed out the next steps to be taken,
as seen on slide 18. He explained that this research has been
done in order to use the analyses to inform resource management
decisions.
MR. TEMPLIN moved to slide 19 and pointed out the questions that
would need to be asked in order to have an appropriate decision-
making process. He stated that these questions would help the
department move from the science learned to the policy needed.
He stated that the first question concerns observation of
whether an event is occurring. The next question concerns how
often and to what extent the event is occurring. These two
questions are answered using scientific measurement, with the
end user defining the effect, as this is not always obvious, he
advised. He stated that the next question is whether there is a
harmful effect, and this would need to be answered by a human
derived standard; in other words, the definition of harm would
need to be determined. He stated that the next question is in
relation to whether addressing the harm would cost more than the
benefit. He stated that this question is not informed by
scientific results, but rather by human activity, such as
values, definitions, negotiations, and risk assessments.
11:40:49 AM
MR. TEMPLIN moved to the final slides which addressed pink
salmon and competition at sea. He explained the different
effects of this type of study and continued to an example. He
suggested four explanations for the correlation between two
example pink salmon runs; unfortunately, he explained the
correlation cannot be determined from a data set alone, as
establishing causal relationships is difficult. As seen on
slide 21, he advised that the best results would come from
controlled studies; however, biological situations are not
amenable to controlled studies. To be able to determine causal
relationships better, he stated that the correlation between the
two example runs must have high evidence found consistently
across multiple situations with no competing explanations. He
concluded that the correlation would need to be consistent with
strong explanation supported by experiment. To understand the
correlation between the two example pink salmon runs, the
following would need to be determined: diet overlap and shifts,
the comparison of each run's survival trends, the comparison of
competitor abundance with growth patterns, and the comparison of
competitor abundance with age and maturity. He moved to slide
23 and slide 24 and addressed how the previous four correlations
are debated in scientific communities. He discussed the details
of the arguments and related these to international debates. He
suggested that the question of pink salmon competition at sea
has not been settled and making changes based on uncertain or
preliminary assertions can be harmful to the resource, as well
as to Alaska. He advised that the department acts within the
scope of available resources and in a manner that supports its
mission. On slide 25, he pointed to the list of the five
activities and approaches, which are being implemented to
advance the science around competition and the marine ecology of
salmon. He discussed each of these. He concluded with an offer
to receive any questions at any time.
11:53:14 AM
MR. TEMPLIN, in response to a committee question concerning the
past data which has informed the past policy decisions, stated
when speaking about "productivity," he was specifically
referring to the productivity of natural systems in the presence
of hatchery and wild fish. He continued that ADF&G's assessment
of productivity is taken into account over long periods of time,
by multiple brood years, within the escapement goal system.
This helps the department understand whether targets are being
met. On a larger scope, productivity uses harvest and
escapement information, and other similar information to
understand escapement.
MR. TEMPLIN, in response to a question concerning the food in
the sea necessary to feed one pink salmon, deferred to the
upcoming committee meeting, where Dr. Katie Howard would be able
to answer. He explained that the food web and ecosystem is very
complex in the North Pacific and Bristol Bay. He stated that
salmon are a small consumer compared to pollack, herring, and
other species. He said it would be difficult to measure how
much food is necessary to feed fish in the ocean, as it needs to
be in context of other consumers. He suggested that trends
could reveal some answers.
11:58:25 AM
CHAIR VANCE summed up the discussion and stated that, as policy
makers, the committee is concerned with what could be done
today, and here lies the problem. She explained the purpose of
a scientist is very different from that of a legislator.
11:59:26 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Fisheries meeting was adjourned at 11:59
a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 92 - (Proposed CS) v.B.pdf |
HFSH 3/14/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 92 |
| HB 92 - Vessel Owner Benefit AS 23.35.145 -10Yr Payout Projection_REVISED.pdf |
HFSH 3/14/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 92 |
| HFSH ADF&G Hatcheries Research Presentation 03.14.23.pdf |
HFSH 3/14/2023 10:00:00 AM |
|
| HB 92 - DOL Workers Comp Fiscal Note.pdf |
HFSH 3/14/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 92 |