Legislature(1993 - 1994)
05/02/1994 05:30 PM Senate RES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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SENATE RESOURCES COMMITTEE
May 2, 1993
5:30 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Mike Miller, Chairman
Senator Loren Leman, Vice Chairman
Senator Steve Frank
Senator Drue Pearce
Senator Al Adams
Senator Dave Donley
Senator Fred Zharoff
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 398(CRA)
"An Act relating to conveyance of certain land to municipalities."
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 266(L&C)
"An Act relating to guide-outfitter and master guide-outfitter
licenses; extending the termination date of the Big Game Commercial
Services Board; and providing for an effective date."
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 448(RES)
"An Act relating to waste and use of salmon and parts of salmon;
relating to permits for and operation of a salmon hatchery; and
providing for an effective date."
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 443(RES) am(efd fld)
"An Act relating to the confidentiality of certain records relating
to fish and wildlife."
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 218(FSH)
"An Act relating to the maximum length of salmon seine vessels; and
providing for an effective date."
PREVIOUS ACTION
HB 398 - See Community & Regional Affairs minutes
dated 3/15/94. See Resources minutes dated 4/18/94,
and 4/30/94.
HB 266 - See Resources minutes dated 4/30/94.
HB 448 - See Resources minutes dated 4/30/94.
HB 443 - See Resources minutes dated 4/30/94.
HB 218 - See Resources minutes dated 4/30/94.
WITNESS REGISTER
Joe Klutsch
Alaska Professional Hunters Association
P.O. Box 313
King Salmon, Ak.
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 266.
Carl Luck, Director
Occupational Licensing
Department of Commerce and Economic Development
P.O. Box 110806
Juneau, Ak. 99811-0806
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 266.
Geron Bruce
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
P.O. Box 25526
Juneau, Ak. 99802
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 448
Rick Lauber
Pacific Seafood Processors Association
321 Highland Dr.
Juneau, Ak. 99801
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed HB 448.
Cheryl Sutton, Legislative Aide
c/o Representative Carl Moses
State Capitol
Juneau, Ak. 99801-1182
POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on HB 218.
Kate Troll, Executive Director
Southeast Alaska Seiners Association
9226 Long Run
Juneau, Ak. 99801
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 448 and HB 218.
Ray Gillespie
Aquaculture Associations
9478 River Wood Ct.
Juneau, Ak. 99801
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 448.
Dean Paddock
Bristol Bay Drift Netters Association
P.O. Box 20312
Juneau, Ak. 99802
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 218.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 94-42, SIDE A
Number 001
CHAIRMAN MILLER called the Resources Committee meeting to order at
5:30 p.m. and announced HB 398 (LAND CONVEYED TO & FROM
MUNICIPALITIES) to be up for consideration.
SENATOR PEARCE moved to adopt amendment # 2, Cook, U.4, 5/2/94
deleting lines 13 - 15 and inserting new language. There were no
objections and it was adopted.
SENATOR PEARCE moved SCSHB 398(RES) from committee. There were no
objections and it was so ordered.
SENATOR MILLER announced HB 266 (ELIGIBILITY FOR GUIDE-OUTFITTER
LICENSE) to be up for consideration. He said the proposed CS
extends the Board for one more year and requires 8 recommendations
and deleted language after that. There is also a deletion of
insurance requirements.
SENATOR LEMAN moved to adopt the CS to HB 266. There were no
objections and it was so ordered.
JOE KLUTSCH, Alaska Professional Hunters Association, supported HB
266. He said most land owners require some level of insurance.
SENATOR MILLER explained it was a recommendation of the Big Game
Guiding Board to do away with the insurance requirement.
CARL LUCK, Director, Occupational Licensing, said the insurance
issue was a policy call. They have no position, because it's
redundant. In most cases the private land owners and the federal
government require insurance.
SENATOR LEMAN moved to pass SCSHB 266(RES) from committee with
individual recommendations. There were no objections and it was so
ordered.
SENATOR MILLER announced HB 448 (WASTE & USE OF SALMON; HATCHERIES) S)
to be up for consideration.
GERON BRUCE, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said the
hatcheries are cited in locations where they will contribute to the
common property fishery and where there is a terminal special
harvest area where the hatchery return can be harvested distinct
from wild stock. A majority of the harvest is for cost recovery.
This legislation would increase the revenue the associations are
earning from their hatchery returns. Both the public and private
sectors have invested a lot of money in this industry. He said it
is important to remember that the salmon that have returned to the
terminal area are within a few days of dying. Whether they are
harvested or not, they will die in a short period of time. It is
important to realize we are dealing with hatchery stocks which are
not part of the management of sustained yield of the wild stocks.
SENATOR ZHAROFF said his concern is that the roe does not become
the primary objective. His proposed letter of intent takes care of
that.
MR. BRUCE said they concur with the letter of intent.
Number 278
RICK LAUBER, Pacific Seafood Processors Association, agreed with
Mr. Bruce, but he couldn't support this bill. Alaska has the most
outstanding record in the United States regarding wanton waste,
particularly regarding roe stripping.
He said that all of the arguments in favor of this legislation are
economic and there are many times that you can make more money by
stripping roe and discarding the carcass. Violation of the basic
principals of this state is the reason they oppose wanton waste in
any form.
He said the legislature has already helped the aquaculture
associations in other legislation this year.
Number 347
KATE TROLL, Executive Director, Southeast Alaska Seiners, said they
have copy of a letter signed by Petersburg Vessel Owners, Aleutian
East Borough, Alaska Crab Coalition, and Alaska Long Line
Fishermen's Association in support of maximizing the value of
salmon and avoiding the waste of surplus salmon roe. They support
the idea, but there are far greater downside implications to HB
448. Alaska is well known for its strong wanton waste law and its
support of full utilization of fisheries resources. This position
has been instrumental in federal arenas to uphold Alaska's ability
to manage and protect both near and offshore fisheries. HB 448
would seriously erode Alaska's credibility.
This bill would also allow hatcheries and processors to be
accountable to different standards. This makes it difficult to not
allow exceptions for other sectors in the future.
She concluded that they do support SB 251.
RAY GILLESPIE, representing the four regional aquaculture
associations, said he supported this legislation. The alternative
to a permit system that this bill proposes is to allow the salmon
with the valuable roe to rot on the beach. This legislation
defines very narrow circumstances. These are hatchery fish,
returning to terminal harvest area, whose flesh has been declared
unfit for human consumption.
He said they endorse the letter of intent, the purpose of which is
to ensure the Commissioner through regulations ensures that there
are no other feasible options before he issues a permit and allows
the roe to be taken.
BILL THOMAS, commercial gill netter, gave a fisherman's perspective
and supported this bill.
SENATOR ADAMS moved Senator Zharoff's letter of intent. There were
no objections and it was so ordered.
SENATOR DONLEY moved amendment # 1.
REPRESENTATIVE FINKELSTEIN said different charities have received
large donations of fish from the aquaculture associations that
would otherwise be wasted. He explained that this amendment makes
clear that some runs of a hatchery are covered from liability if
they are giving away fish that is considered marginal.
SENATOR MILLER said amendment # 1 was adopted.
SENATOR ADAMS moved to pass CSHB 448(RES) from committee with
individual recommendations. There were no objections and it was so
ordered.
SENATOR MILLER announced HB 443 (FISH & WILDLIFE CONFIDENTIAL
RECORDS)
DAVE KELLEYHOUSE, Director, Division of Wildlife, said there was
one change made on the House floor.
SENATOR PEARCE moved to pass HB 443 from committee with individual
recommendations. There were no objections and it was so ordered.
SENATOR MILLER announced HB 218 (REPEAL 58 FT. LIMIT FOR SEINE
VESSELS) to be up for consideration.
Number 55
CHERYL SUTTON, Legislative Aide to Representative Moses, said that
1958 the legislature passed a law banning the use of seine vessels
larger than 58 ft. HB 218 would remove the requirement from
statute, thus allowing the Board of Fisheries to adopt regulations
specifying the length of vessels.
SENATOR LEMAN said he thought there were some areas of the state
that should retain the 58 ft. limit. He hoped the Board of
Fisheries would agree with that.
KATE TROLL said she supports this bill, because it puts this
decision in the right policy arena before the Board of Fish. They
would understand the technicalities of Coast Guard changes and
definitions.
DEAN PADDOCK, Bristol Bay Drift Netters Association, supported HB
218.
TAPE 94-42, SIDE B
MR. PADDOCK commented briefly on the Board members.
SENATOR MILLER said it was his intent to bring this bill up again
on Wednesday when he had a quorum and adjourned the meeting at 6:18
p.m.
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