04/22/2005 02:33 PM House RES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s) || Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission | |
| HB37 | |
| HB218 | |
| HB251 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
April 22, 2005
2:33 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Jay Ramras, Co-Chair
Representative Ralph Samuels, Co-Chair
Representative Jim Elkins
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux
Representative Kurt Olson
Representative Harry Crawford
Representative Mary Kapsner
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Carl Gatto
Representative Paul Seaton
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
Daniel Seamount - Anchorage
Cathy Foerster - Anchorage
- CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED
HOUSE BILL NO. 37
"An Act relating to public access to fishing streams."
- MOVED CSHB 37(RES) OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 218
"An Act relating to cost recovery fisheries for private
nonprofit hatchery facilities."
- MOVED CSHB 218(RES) OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 251
"An Act authorizing the Board of Fisheries to adopt regulations
regarding fishing by a person who holds two entry permits for a
salmon fishery."
- MOVED CSHB 251(RES) OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 241
"An Act relating to participation in matters before the Board of
Fisheries by members of the board; and providing for an
effective date."
- SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD
HOUSE BILL NO. 269
"An Act relating to contribution actions relating to the release
of a hazardous substance; and providing for an effective date."
- SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 9
Proclaiming Alaska Agriculture Day for 2005 and 2006.
- SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 37
SHORT TITLE: PUBLIC ACCESS TO FISHING STREAMS
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) GARA
01/10/05 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 12/30/04
01/10/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/10/05 (H) FSH, RES
03/21/05 (H) FSH AT 8:30 AM CAPITOL 124
03/21/05 (H) -- Meeting Canceled --
03/23/05 (H) FSH AT 8:30 AM CAPITOL 124
03/23/05 (H) Heard & Held
03/23/05 (H) MINUTE(FSH)
04/15/05 (H) FSH AT 8:30 AM CAPITOL 124
04/15/05 (H) Moved CSHB 37(FSH) Out of Committee
04/15/05 (H) MINUTE(FSH)
04/18/05 (H) FSH RPT CS(FSH) NT 2DP 1DNP 2NR
04/18/05 (H) DP: ELKINS, THOMAS;
04/18/05 (H) DNP: SALMON;
04/18/05 (H) NR: KAPSNER, LEDOUX
04/18/05 (H) FIN REFERRAL ADDED AFTER RES
04/22/05 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124
BILL: HB 218
SHORT TITLE: PRIVATE HATCHERY COST RECOVERY FISHERIES
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) THOMAS
03/15/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/15/05 (H) FSH, RES
03/16/05 (H) FSH AT 8:30 AM CAPITOL 124
03/16/05 (H) Heard & Held
03/16/05 (H) MINUTE(FSH)
04/15/05 (H) FSH AT 8:30 AM CAPITOL 124
04/15/05 (H) Moved CSHB 218(FSH) Out of Committee
04/15/05 (H) MINUTE(FSH)
04/18/05 (H) FSH RPT CS(FSH) 3DP 3NR
04/18/05 (H) DP: WILSON, ELKINS, THOMAS;
04/18/05 (H) NR: HARRIS, SALMON, LEDOUX
04/20/05 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124
04/20/05 (H) -- Meeting Canceled --
04/22/05 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124
BILL: HB 251
SHORT TITLE: COMMERCIAL FISHING MULTIPLE PERMIT HOLDER
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) SAMUELS
04/05/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/05/05 (H) FSH, RES
04/11/05 (H) FSH RPT 3DP 1NR
04/11/05 (H) DP: WILSON, HARRIS, ELKINS;
04/11/05 (H) NR: THOMAS
04/11/05 (H) FSH AT 8:30 AM CAPITOL 124
04/11/05 (H) Moved Out of Committee
04/11/05 (H) MINUTE(FSH)
04/11/05 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124
04/11/05 (H) Scheduled But Not Heard
04/20/05 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124
04/20/05 (H) -- Meeting Canceled --
04/22/05 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE LES GARA
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 37 as sponsor.
IAN FISK, Staff
to Representative Bill Thomas
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 218 on behalf of Representative
Thomas, sponsor.
JIM BACON, Commercial Fisherman
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 218.
MITCH EIDE, Commercial Seiner
Petersburg, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 218.
CRAIG EVENS, Commercial Seiner
Petersburg, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified that HB 218 will provide greater
flexibility to ADF&G.
JASON WELLS, Executive Director
Valdez Fishery Development
Valdez, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Expressed concerns with HB 218.
BOB THORSTENSON, Executive Director
Southeast Alaska Seiners
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 218.
PETER ESQUIRO, General Manager
Northern Southeast Alaska Regional Aquaculture Association
Sitka, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Expressed concerns with HB 218.
STEVE REIFENSTUHL, Staff
Northern Southeast Alaska Aquaculture Association
Sitka, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to HB 218.
STEVEN DOUGHERTY, Attorney General
Department of Law (DOL)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented legal opinions on HB 218.
CHUCK HARLAMERT, Juneau Section Chief
Tax Division
Department of Revenue
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding HB 218.
HENRY WEBB, Staff
to Representative Ralph Samuels
Alaska State Legislature
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 251 on behalf of Representative
Samuels, sponsor.
JERRY MCCUNE
United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 251.
PETER THOMPSON, Fisherman
Kodiak, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 251.
FRANK HOMAN, Commissioner
Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 251.
ACTION NARRATIVE
CO-CHAIR RALPH SAMUELS called the House Resources Standing
Committee meeting to order at 2:33:38 PM. Representatives
Samuel, Elkins, LeDoux, Crawford, and Olson were present at the
call to order. Representatives Kapsner and Ramras arrived as
the meeting was in progress.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
^Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS announced that the first order of business
would be advancing the confirmation of appointees to the Alaska
Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Appointees Daniel Seamount
and Cathy Foerster were interviewed during the April 4, 2005
House Resources Standing Committee meeting.
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD moved to forward the name of Cathy
Foerster for commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation
Commission.
There being no objection, it was so ordered.
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD moved to forward the name of Daniel
Seamount for commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation
Commission.
There being no objection, it was so ordered.
2:35:36 PM
HB 37-PUBLIC ACCESS TO FISHING STREAMS
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS announced that the next order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 37 "An Act relating to public access to
fishing streams."
REPRESENTATIVE LES GARA, Alaska State Legislature, said HB 37
tries to ensure that citizens continue to have public access to
fishing streams. He noted that many streams currently
accessible along the road system are on private land, and he
said that these lands will be developed and the access to some
fishing streams will be lost forever. The bill sets up a
procedure with the Department of Natural Resources and Alaska
Department of Fish & Game to identify these streams, and asks
the state to consider purchasing or exchanging the access lands.
It would be subject to a legislative appropriation or the
availability of grant money, and it is completely voluntary, he
said. "It encourages the discussion and it encourages the
process so that we can hopefully avoid making the mistakes so
many other states have made on what were once great publicly
accessible fishing streams," he concluded.
REPRESENTATIVE OLSON asked about how HB 37 applies to access on
Exxon Valdez oil spill land.
REPRESENTATIVE GARA said it won't have an effect because when
the state sells land it must retain access.
2:38:41 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD moved Amendment 1 as follows:
Page 3, line 14, following "use,"
Insert: "sport"
There being no objection, Amendment 1 carried.
2:39:46 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD moved to report HB 37 as amended out of
committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying
fiscal notes.
There being no objection, CSHB 37(RES) passed out of committee.
2:40:45 PM
HB 218-PRIVATE HATCHERY COST RECOVERY FISHERIES
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS announced that the next order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 218 "An Act relating to cost recovery
fisheries for private nonprofit hatchery facilities."
REPRESENTATIVE ELKINS moved to adopt HB 218, labeled 24LS054\L,
Utermohle, 4/20/05, as a work draft.
IAN FISK, Staff to Representative Bill Thomas, Alaska State
Legislature, said the hatchery program in Alaska has been very
successful. It makes up about 30 percent of the volume of
salmon caught. He said HB 218 will provide a new way for
hatcheries to recover costs, but it is completely optional.
Currently processors bid on the fish that the hatcheries will
catch using only a couple of vessels from the commercial fishing
fleet, he stated. This bill gives hatcheries the option to
recovery their costs through the common property fishery, since
the intent of the hatchery program is to provide fish to
fishermen. The language in HB 218 is permissive, he restated.
2:43:53 PM
MR. FISK said the committee substitute (CS) changes "special
harvest areas" to "terminal harvest areas". Both areas relate
to specific hatcheries, and a terminal harvest area is slightly
larger and can be set by the commissioner of the Alaska
Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) or the Board of Fisheries.
The special harvest area can be set only by the board. This
change maintains allocation plans, he explained. Hatchery fish
are subject to allocation plans between gear groups, and the
bill is not intended to change those plans.
2:45:21 PM
MR. FISK said the ADF&G commissioner designee has concerns that
the bill may affect allocations, but Mr. Fisk said he believes
it won't. "We are both committed to resolving that issue in a
way that will be amenable to the department before the bill
passes through the rest of the process."
2:46:52 PM
MR. FISK said there is a change on line 16 to clarify that no
allocative changes should be made, and subsection (d) on page 3
was rewritten based on Department of Law advice. Line 23 is
relevant to the Department of Revenue. He said that the basic
intent of the bill is to put an assessment on the fleet, which
will be collected by the state. It will need to pass through
the legislative appropriation process, "just like any other
revenue of the state, and what we want to do is make this a user
pay system." He added that this is experimental and it is hard
to anticipate what the costs to the state will be.
2:49:01 PM
MR. FISK said a new section was added on page 4 at the request
of one of the hatchery associations. It would make the salmon
harvested under this law subject to the three percent salmon
enhancement tax. Previously, fish harvested for cost recovery
weren't taxed, he said.
2:50:08 PM
JIM BACON, Commercial Fisherman, Ketchikan, said he supports HB
218 because it provides an excellent tool for the hatcheries to
use if they choose to. He said he served on the board of the
Southern Southeast Aquaculture Association, and he is glad the
bill leaves the final decision to its board of directors.
2:51:10 PM
MITCH EIDE, Commercial Seiner, Petersburg, said he supports HB
218. It may give seiners more fishing time and gives ADF&G more
flexibility. He said most of the seiners in the fleet would
like to see a change in the cost recovery structure.
CRAIG EVENS, Commercial Seiner, Petersburg, said there are more
fish of less value, and cost recovery takes more effort now. It
takes more fishermen, tenders, and processing capacity, which
poses a time crunch and lost opportunities to catch wild fish.
He said HB 218 will give ADF&G more flexibility.
2:53:46 PM
JASON WELLS, Executive Director, Valdez Fishery Development,
said HB 218 has improved from its initial drafting. He finds
fault on page 1, lines 7 and 8, where the bill references direct
sales by hatcheries. "We have saved the commercial fishermen 86
million pounds and $10 million in the past ten years by being
able to go out and do direct sales and have the processors
compete against each other for our fish," he said. It is a
negative bent to talk about doing away with direct sales. "They
are the strongest tool that we have in the salmon industry right
now to push prices up," he declared. He said the bill should
remain voluntary.
2:55:55 PM
BOB THORSTENSON, Executive Director, Southeast Alaska Seiners,
Ketchikan, said he supports HB 218. He said it will improve
harvest quality and market timing, it will allow seiners to have
a direct user fee, and it will instill more sense of fairness
between the fishermen and the hatcheries. He stated that the
permissive language is good because he doesn't want hatcheries
to do something they don't want to do. He said United Fishermen
of Alaska, Kake Vessel Owners Association, and Petersburg Vessel
Owners Association also support HB 218.
2:57:25 PM
PETER ESQUIRO, General Manager, Northern Southeast Alaska
Regional Aquaculture Association (NSRAA), Sitka, said HB 218 has
evolved over the last few weeks, but it still needs changing.
He is concerned whom the interested and knowledgeable parties
are that are referenced on page 2, lines 4-6. He said the
language requiring a commercial fishing representative is
redundant because his board already has that. He suggested that
"of the corporation" should be added to the end of line 11 on
page 3.
MR. ESQUIRO said NSRAA has a cost recovery program with many
different facets. He further suggested that "the amount of the
existing reserve" be deleted from subsection (d) on page 3,
because the existing reserve is unrelated to setting the rate of
the assessment. "That is very much a part of the fiduciary
responsibility in determining those levels of the NSRAA board of
directors," he added. He said the legislation needs to consider
the costs to the Alaska Department of Fish & Game because more
enforcement will be required. He added that there are other
related issues to be discussed before moving to this type of
system. Moving from the present cost recovery system to an
assessment system may have impacts on the seine boat operators.
He said this has happened fairly rapidly, and he doesn't
understand the rush.
3:03:07 PM
MR. FISK said the other interested parties could be any number
of people who could provide helpful input. He said NSRAA has a
majority of commercial fishermen on its board, but there are
other aquaculture organizations that don't.
3:04:57 PM
MR. FISK referred to the addition of "corporations" on line 11;
"we've been working with them through this process and we would
be willing to discuss adding that in before the next committee
of referral."
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS said that looks like just a technical change.
Regarding the last comment of Mr. Esquiro, the legislature can
appropriate anything it wants, he said.
MR. FISK said it is just a reminder, and the bill could list any
number of departments. Mr. Fisk discussed enforcement. It is a
terminal harvest area, he said, and the Department of Public
Safety is not at every opening, but fishermen don't know where
they will be, and the penalties are severe. "Just the knowledge
that they are lurking ... is enough to keep people honest."
3:08:13 PM
STEVE REIFENSTUHL, Staff, Northern Southeast Alaska Aquaculture
Association (NSRAA), Sitka, said he is opposed to HB 218. He
said he is the messenger for seiners, trollers, and gillnetters
because NSRAA represents the interests of the fishermen through
its 25-member board elected through a certified ballot. Any
permit holders can vote for their gear representative, he said.
There are 3,200 permits for all the gear groups in Southeast,
and the NSRAA board members look out for all. When board
members were introduced to the concepts of HB 218, they were
told to trust that the details would be taken care of later.
They voted unanimously to oppose it, he said. The majority of
fishermen don't want the bill. He said he doesn't see what the
rush is, especially considering the opposition. "If the bill
truly has merit, the proponents should work with the majority of
fishermen ... to iron out the wrinkles rather than cram it down
their throat." He said NSRAA is one of the most successful
organizations of its kind. On average, 80 percent of the fish
that NSRAA produces goes to fishermen. The board wants to
maintain that track record, and the bill is not the path.
3:11:47 PM
MR. REIFENSTUHL said he has spoken to some supporters of the
bill, and they agree that the bill should be withdrawn for the
year. "We have always been willing to work closely with
fishermen because we really represent them." He said he is at
the Hidden Falls opening every year, "and protection was out
there one time last year, and I had to work for two days prior
to them arriving to make sure they would be there for an
opening." They are spread thin, he added.
3:13:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX said the bill is permissive; NSRAA will
simply have a new option.
MR. REIFENSTUHL said the board of directors heard the same
thing, but there is a lack of trust and it's worried the system
may become required. He said he has spoken to the other
organizations across the state, and "they mostly want to keep
their head down on this, and I understand that. Just because
you are not hearing from them today doesn't mean that they don't
have some of the same concerns."
3:14:35 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ELKINS said he finds that hard to swallow. If
they have the same concerns, where are they? We need to hear
from them, he said.
MR. REIFENSTUHL said you have to go with what you hear, but he
said he represents the 3,200 permit holders who elect his board,
and they are in opposition to HB 218.
MR. FISK postulated that if an informal poll of fishermen were
taken, they would generally be supportive of hatcheries but not
of the cost recovery programs. This is not a new subject, he
said, it has been discussed for a long time, including through
the Salmon Task Force. "It did not just come out of the blue,"
he stated. It is a stretch to say NSRAA represents 3,200
commercial permit holders, he said.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if the concern is that the boards
will make the hatcheries use the new cost recovery system.
3:17:39 PM
MR. FISK said that may be the case. He noted that NSRAA's
Hidden Falls hatchery will "likely be the first place we try to
do this." People have talked about doing it in Cook Inlet. He
noted that NSRAA does a great job.
3:18:46 PM
STEVEN DOUGHERTY, Attorney General, Department of Law (DOL),
Anchorage, referred to subsection (d) on page 3 where Mr.
Esquiro wanted to remove the words, "the amount of the existing
reserve". He said, "One of the standards that has been imposed
in this new version of the bill ... for the development of the
assessment, is consideration of the maintenance or development
of reserve fund of up to 100 percent of annual operating costs
of the corporation. In order to determine what the assessment
should be, it would be necessary for the department to look at
the amount of existing reserves." He said it should stay in the
bill, and the language needs to be consistent for the hatchery
permit holder and the corporation. He noted that the changes in
the CS are to reduce the discretion of the Department of Revenue
in setting the assessment. The legislature sets it, and the
Department of Revenue is merely implementing it based on
criteria that will vary year to year. It is not practicable for
the legislature to set the value for every facility each year.
3:21:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ELKINS asked about the Southern Southeast Alaska
Aquaculture Association (SSRAA) cost recovery program.
MR. FISK said the method by which each hatchery deals with cost
recovery differs. SSRAA has a different program, and "they have
indicated that they won't need to do this anytime soon." If an
attempt was made to make this system a requirement instead of an
option, the sponsor would no longer support the bill, he added.
REPRESENTATIVE ELKINS said the SSRAA board listened to the
managers when he was a board member.
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS asked if any other bill has language saying the
legislature may appropriate funds.
3:23:40 PM
CHUCK HARLAMERT, Juneau Section Chief, Tax Division, Department
of Revenue, said yes, and it is an indication of intent that
doesn't broach the dedicated fund problem.
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS offered Amendment 1 as follows:
Page 3, line 11, after "annual operating costs"
Insert "of the corporation"
There being no objection, Amendment 1 carried.
3:24:43 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ELKINS moved to report HB 218, labeled 24LS054\L,
Utermohle, 4/20/05, as amended, out of committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection CSHB 218(RES) passed out of committee.
The committee took an at-ease from 3:25 PM to 3:30 PM.
HB 251-COMMERCIAL FISHING MULTIPLE PERMIT HOLDER
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS announced that the final order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 251 "An Act authorizing the Board of
Fisheries to adopt regulations regarding fishing by a person who
holds two entry permits for a salmon fishery."
CO-CHAIR RAMRAS moved to adopt HB 251, labeled 24-LS0770\F, as a
working document.
HENRY WEBB, Staff to Representative Ralph Samuels, Alaska State
Legislature, said HB 251 is the logical conclusion to the
legislation that allowed fishermen to hold two permits. This
bill would allow the Board of Fish to assign additional fishing
privileges for those who hold more than one permit in a salmon
fishery, he added. Market forces prompt permit holders to buy
or sell their permit, and this bill would not require anyone to
buy or sell their permit. Mr. Webb said HB 251 would permit the
board to allow additional fishing privileges. It would also
allow specific fisheries to deal with situations where low
salmon prices have contributed to large numbers of outstanding
or latent permits. The committee substitute (CS) requires the
fish board to consider this issue only in their normal three-
year cycle, and it makes a technical amendment recommended by
the Department of Law to conform this legislation to Commercial
Fisheries Entry Commission statute.
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS said, "The point of the bill is to let the
board look at ways in some of these, where they've got so many
permits and the buy-back probably is not going to happen, is to
allow to get more net out of the water, where if I fish and
Representative Ramras fishes, I can buy his permit and the board
could say, OK, we used to have four shackles of gear, and if I
own both permits, I'm allowed to have three. I've got two, he's
got two. And let the board of fish work out the ways to get
around the details."
3:34:12 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if the bill would allow a person
with two entry permits to have a larger boat.
MR. WEBB said it would be up to the board. It doesn't proscribe
that, he said. "It doesn't proscribe anything. It says the
board will be able to determine ... allocative decisions and
whatnot. They'll be able to determine what they want to do with
gear or boats or anything under the sun, as long as it fits in
with the constitution and existing statute. They could decide
the particulars," he said.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX said under section 3 the board might be
able to allow for a larger boat.
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS said the intent is more gear, not a larger
boat. "We can certainly work on the language to ensure that."
3:35:48 PM
MR. WEBB said the board can change the boat length now.
JERRY MCCUNE, United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA), Juneau, said UFA
supports the bill. The Board of Fisheries just allowed two
permit holders for one vessel in Bristol Bay and have an extra
shackle of gear, he noted, so this is for all the fishermen in
Bristol Bay who hold a second permit to be able to go to the
board and make a request. It is a really good way to do fleet
consolidation if that fits someone's fishery, because he or she
doesn't have to have any money, he said. It also gives options,
but it won't fit every fleet. He noted that the bill covers
restructuring proposals, so there would be public hearings. He
said, "The 32-foot is in regulation, so the board has that
purview. The 58-foot was taken out of statute and put in area-
by-area that you could bring it up in Prince William Sound, you
could bring it up in Southeast, or you could bring it up in
Kodiak. But you have to go before the board to remove the 58-
foot limit."
3:39:24 PM
PETER THOMPSON, Fisherman, Kodiak, said the salmon industry has
been an economic disaster, and the state should make it more
valuable for anyone who attempts to remain in the industry.
Fleet consolidation is a concept whose time has come, he said.
He stated that he is tired of task forces and talks that are
followed by no real action. "Waiting for the state of Alaska or
Uncle Ted to bail us out or buy back permits is over," he said.
Giving the board the tools to effect change is a good step. For
every stacked permit in Bristol Bay, 100 fathoms of net are
removed from the water, he figured. There are 1,857 drift
permits in Bristol Bay, allowing for 5,571 shackles of drift
gear. If just one third of the permit holders stacked permits,
either with another permit holder or one individual with two
permits on a single vessel, that would take over 22 percent of
the gear out the water in the bay, he concluded. "That would be
equal to eliminating 70.5 miles of drift net." He said the
permit holders he has talked to support the intent of HB 251.
3:42:13 PM
FRANK HOMAN, Commissioner, Commercial Fisheries Entry
Commission, said the commission supports the bill for the
purpose of fleet consolidation and effort reduction. He added
that it is a simple, non-mandatory tool for the board to use.
People would have to come before the board to state their case
before using the provision, he said.
3:43:09 PM
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS said the reason he wrote this legislation was
to "let the private sector start eliminating some of the net in
the water." There are fears that in Bristol Bay, 20 to 30
percent of the permits aren't actually used, and those will be
the ones that are sold, thereby increasing the number of nets in
the water, he said. The other concern is that village residents
would be hurt because they can't afford to buy a second permit.
He said he tried to find language "to put sideboards on it," but
he ran into constitutional problems. The Board of Fisheries is
a better forum to have this discussion, and all the communities
can come forward at that time. He believes the market place can
take better care than a non-existent government buy back.
3:46:19 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ELKINS moved to report CSHB 251, version 24-
LS0770\F, out of committee with individual recommendations and
the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB
251(RES) passed out of committee.
3:47:19 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Resources Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 3:47 p.m.
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