Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
03/13/2017 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
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| Confirmation Hearings: Board of Fisheries | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
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+ teleconferenced
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
March 13, 2017
3:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Cathy Giessel, Chair
Senator John Coghill, Vice Chair
Senator Natasha von Imhof
Senator Bert Stedman
Senator Shelley Hughes
Senator Kevin Meyer
Senator Bill Wielechowski
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARINGS
Board of Fisheries
Fritz Johnson - Dillingham
John Jensen - Petersburg
Reed Morisky - Fairbanks
- CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
FRITZ JOHNSON, Appointee
Dillingham, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of
Fisheries.
JOHN JENSEN, Appointee
Petersburg, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of
Fisheries.
REED MORISKY, Appointee
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of
Fisheries.
JENNIFER EHMANN, Chair
Mat-Su Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Morisky's re-appointment to
the Board of Fisheries.
JERRY MCCUNE, lobbyist
United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported the confirmations of Fritz
Johnson and John Jensen to the Board of Fisheries.
GARY HOLLIER, representing himself
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported all three nominations: Mr.
Morisky, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Jensen.
PAUL SHADURA
South K-Beach Independent Fisherman's Association
Kasilof, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported all three nominees for the Board
of Fisheries: John Jensen, Reed Morisky, and Fritz Johnson.
DAN DUNAWAY, representing himself
Dillingham, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Fritz Johnson's confirmation to
the Board of Fisheries.
GAYLA HOSETH
Nushagak Advisory Committee
Dillingham, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Fritz Johnson's appointment to
the Board of Fisheries.
NICK SMEATON, representing himself
Dillingham, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Fritz Johnson's appointment to
the Board of Fisheries.
VERNER WILSON, III, Director
Natural Resources
Bristol Bay Native Association (BBNA)
Dillingham, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke on behalf of BBNA president and CEO
Ralph Anderson in support of Fritz Johnson to the Board of
Fisheries.
GARY CLINE, Regional Fisheries Director
Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation
Dillingham, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Fritz Johnson's appointment to
the Board of Fisheries.
ROBERT HAYANO, representing himself
Dillingham, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported all three appointees to the Board
of Fisheries: John Jensen, Reed Morisky, and Fritz Johnson.
CURT ARMSTRONG, representing himself
Dillingham, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported all three appointees to the Board
of Fisheries: John Jensen, Reed Morisky, and Fritz Johnson.
OLIVER HOLM, representing himself
Kodiak, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported John Jensen's re-appointment to
the Board of Fisheries.
SUE JEFFREY, representing herself
Kodiak, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Fully supported all three appointees to the
Board of Fisheries: John Jensen, Reed Morisky, and Fritz
Johnson.
JEFF STEPHAN, lobbyist
United Fishermen's Marketing Association (UFMA)
Kodiak, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Strongly supported all three appointees to
the Board of Fisheries: John Jensen, Reed Morisky, and Fritz
Johnson.
WES HUMBYRD, representing himself
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Fritz Johnson's and John Jensen's
appointments to the Board of Fisheries, but not Reed Morisky.
DAVID HILLSTRAND, representing himself
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Fritz Johnson's and John Jensen's
appointments to the Board of Fisheries, but not Reed Morisky.
MALCOLM MILNE, President
North Pacific Fisheries Association (NPFA)
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported John Jensen's appointment to the
Board of Fisheries.
IAN PITZMAN, representing himself
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported all three appointees to the Board
of Fisheries: John Jensen, Reed Morisky, and Fritz Johnson,
especially Mr. Jensen.
ARNE THOMSON, contractor/consultant
Alaska Salmon Alliance
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported all three appointees to the Board
of Fisheries: John Jensen, Reed Morisky, and Fritz Johnson.
AL BARRETTE, representing himself
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Reed Morisky's appointment to the
Board of Fisheries.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:30:25 PM
CHAIR CATHY GIESSEL called the Senate Resources Standing
Committee meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Stedman, Von Imhof, Wielechowski, Hughes,
and Chair Giessel. Senator Coghill came in shortly thereafter.
^Confirmation Hearings: Board of Fisheries
Confirmation Hearings: Board of Fisheries
3:30:57 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL announced consideration of the appointees to the
Board of Fisheries. She said the Board of Fisheries' main role
is to conserve and develop the fishery resources of the state.
It is charged with setting seasons and bag limits and methods
and means for the state's subsistence, commercial, sport, guided
sport, and personal use fisheries. It also involves setting
policies and directions for the management of the state's
fishery resources.
3:31:23 PM
SENATOR MEYER joined the committee.
CHAIR GIESSEL said the board is charged with making allocative
decisions and is responsible for management based on those
decisions. It has a three-year meeting cycle that generally
occurs from October through March. It uses the biological and
socio-economic information provided by the Alaska Department of
Fish and Game (ADF&G), public comment received from people
inside and outside the state, and guidance from the Alaska
Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Department of Law
(DOL) when creating regulations that are sound and enforceable.
CHAIR GIESSEL welcomed Fritz Johnson from Dillingham to the
committee saying he would be a re-appointment to the board with
his term beginning, on July 1 and go through June 30, 2020.
3:33:11 PM
FRITZ JOHNSON, Dillingham, Alaska, said he is interested in
serving another term on the Board of Fisheries and is "vastly
more qualified" now, because he already served on the board for
three years and has a good idea of the fisheries beyond his
personal experience.
MR. JOHNSON said he had fished in Bristol Bay since 1979 and
loves the business. Alaska is uniquely blessed with the breadth
and depth of its fisheries.
SENATOR COGHILL said he appreciated him serving on this board
and asked him to share some surprising or instructive things he
has heard that are different than the Bristol Bay fishery.
MR. JOHNSON replied that he wasn't surprised so much about the
differences between fisheries, but just about how wide and deep
Alaska's fisheries are. He was tutored by experienced board
members and the department during his first term and the
information provided was very professional. He expected it. He
also found the passions of the different stakeholders in the
state made him realize how hard a balance would be to achieve.
But he wasn't surprised.
3:36:14 PM
SENATOR HUGHES thanked him for being here today and she was
concerned about how the recent decision regarding the corridor
will impact the Susitna drainage that contains the Yentna and
Knik rivers. Eight of the 14 stocks of concern are there and
even though progress was being made, the board still decided to
increase fishing time for the commercial drift fishermen. She
thought his vote was supposed to be for sustainability and not
allocation and asked him to comment on that decision.
MR. JOHNSON responded that adding one day of fishing to the
drift fleet was less significant than creating those corridors
in the first place, and the year following their implementation
the returns into the areas she is describing seem to have
increased. However, he couldn't tell her if the same kinds of
increases were observed in the two following years. Other
factors come into play, he added. For instance, run strength and
timing have a lot to do with whether these fish will be
accessible to the drift fleet, dip netters, or sports fishermen.
The board made the decision that seemed most appropriate based
upon the information presented at the time. Sustainability is
the board's primary mission.
He said there have often been discussions of lengthening the
time between meetings and maybe it makes sense, because more
time is needed to see if a particular action made a difference.
Fish and Mother Nature often make their own decisions, which are
out of human control. Those stocks bear close attention. He
repeated that the board's main mission is sustainability.
SENATOR HUGHES thanked him for that explanation, but her
understanding is that escapement goals hadn't been reached but
things were improving and that making a change at this time was
concerning.
3:41:09 PM
MR. JOHNSON said he couldn't respond to the particulars, but
other factors make managing wild stocks difficult, like run
strength and timing. Price makes a difference, too.
3:41:40 PM
SENATOR VON IMHOF said she wanted to know if he is the same
Fritz Johnson who received a violation for fishing for salmon
using a drift gillnet in the Nushigak district in June 29, 2015.
MR. JOHNSON said he is the same Fritz Johnson. It was an honest
mistake and embarrassing at the time, but "Shame on me if it
ever happens again." He had been fishing for quite some time and
he was under the sincere impression that the fishing period
closed at 6:30 when in fact it closed at 6:00.
CHAIR GIESSEL thanked him and asked him to stay in the room. She
welcomed John Jensen saying he is the current Board of Fisheries
chair.
3:43:36 PM
JOHN JENSEN, representing himself, Petersburg, Alaska, said he
is 66 years old and had spent most of his life commercial
fishing. He is a partially retired commercial fisherman and
rents small boats to sport fishermen, campers, subsistence
fishermen, whale watchers, and hunters out of Petersburg. He
completed two years of college before he went back to commercial
fishing. He is trying to do the very best job he can.
3:45:01 PM
SENATOR HUGHES thanked him for his service and his desire to
continue serving. She asked him to comment on her earlier
question about the decision regarding the Cook Inlet corridor.
She is concerned with the board's votes having more to do with
allocation than sustainability. Craig Medred wrote an article
saying that Mr. Jensen conceded the corridor appeared to be
working, but he thought that commercial fishermen paid too high
a price in lost catch.
MR. JENSEN said he probably did say that, but when they opened
that area for one 12-hour fishing period in July fishermen told
the managers they would rather have the opening in the third
week than the fourth, which generally has a lot more coho salmon
going through, and those are designated predominantly for sport
fishing. The reason the opening was put in that week was to
target some of the sockeyes using ADF&G data. Cutting their time
back year after year has seemed to help conservation as well as
culvert and habitat restoration and pike eradication. The board
is very cognizant of the stocks of concern up there.
He said it was an allocative decision, one of the thoughts being
that they had paid a good chunk of the price of conservation
efforts and it was prudent to let them fish one 12-hour period a
week next year. The department says it's a "may" and not a
"shall." So they don't have to open it up if conservation
measures are needed.
SENATOR HUGHES said the Mat-Su Borough Wildlife Commission felt
they were "dealt quite a blow," and asked him to consider that.
MR. JENSEN said the department has that in mind. He knows the
people on the commission up there and respects them all. This
was not an easy decision, but he did it because he thought it
would be sustainable.
SENATOR STEDMAN asked him to remind the committee what the vote
was on the Board of Fisheries.
3:49:08 PM
MR. JENSEN replied that he wasn't quite sure, but it was maybe
5X2.
CHAIR GIESSEL clarified that there seems to be unanimous thought
the vote was 4X3.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said he was very disappointed in the Mat-Su
vote. For years the salmon return has plummeted and asked him if
he thought the corridor was clearly working.
MR. JENSEN answered yes it is working, but at the expense of the
commercial fishermen. He clarified that he wants sustainable
salmon for Alaskans, but sometimes they have to make difficult
allocative decisions.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked what takes priority: the returns of
the fish or the commercial fishermen.
MR. JENSEN said the fish always come first: reproduction,
subsistence, and then on down the line for the different user
groups.
3:51:09 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if this would have an impact on the
fish that return to the Valley.
MR. JENSEN answered the department's information indicated that
it would have a small impact, maybe up to 50,000 fish, but he
wasn't sure about that number.
3:51:59 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said according to ADF&G estimates that
means 50,000 sockeye that are normally going through the
corridor are now allocated to the drift fishery. Does that sound
right?
MR. JENSEN said he didn't remember that number, but it sounds
reasonable.
3:52:32 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said that several hundred thousand people
live in the Anchorage Bowl and the Mat-Su Valley and that is a
lot of lost opportunity for the sport fishermen and possibly the
dipnetters.
MR. JENSEN answered that may be a fair representation, but he
didn't know how the fish split up. A portion of them going up
the Kenai and Kasilof river systems will turn around and come
back down to, also, and those systems have been over-escaping
themselves for quite some time.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if there was a proposal to amend the
area open to dip netting from the shore in the Kenai River.
MR. JENSEN answered that he believed there might have been
several proposals and several to also extend the fishing period
by two weeks. But the board didn't make any significant changes
for the dip net fishery.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said there have been a lot of concerns from
his constituents about the lack of fish that have been available
for dip netters and for sport fishermen in the Kenai and Kasilof
area. He asked if the board under his leadership took any action
to increase the fish available for dip netters or sport
fishermen in the Kenai or Kasilof rivers.
MR. JENSEN answered not at this meeting, but they have in the
past taken those actions by creating windows and closed periods
for the commercial fishermen who have a prescriptive 36-hour
closed period on Thursday through Friday to get fish into the
river for the weekend, as well as a prescriptive closure on
Tuesday.
3:55:15 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI commented that Mr. Jensen didn't take any
action to increase the fish available for sport fishermen and
dip netters despite the many complaints, and asked if he took
any actions to increase the number of fish that were available
for commercial fishermen or set netters in the Kenai/Cook Inlet
region.
MR. JENSEN replied that the board took off a "1-percent rule" on
the set netters, because they have been hardest hit and the
sockeyes have been running a little later in the last couple of
years, but that seemed like an anomaly. They tried to give the
set netters a little more opportunity, but whether they get the
time or not depends on how the late run of Kenai River King
salmon comes in.
CHAIR GIESSEL asked him to clarify what the "1-percent rule" is.
MR. JENSEN answered that it's hard to explain, but if the
commercial fisheries' catch in the last two weeks of July is
less than 1 percent of the total run they don't get any extra
opportunity. The reason they took that off the table was because
in his mind it was an unfair advantage to the Kenai and Kasilof
rivers fishermen. Setnetters were severely restricted by that
rule, because a lot of them leave to go to their other jobs.
Cook Inlet is not one of the biggest commercial fishing areas
and has an over-prescription of permits. Most people have other
jobs in order to support their fishing habit.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the 1 percent rule has been in
place for 40 years.
MR. JENSEN answered he could didn't know.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if getting rid of the 1 percent rule
would increase the number of fish available for sport fishermen
or decrease them.
MR. JENSEN said the biggest concern the board had during that
time was the increase in catch of commercial silver salmon. They
also considered that the commercial folks with the 1 percent
rule caught around 3 percent of the silvers going into the Kenai
River.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI surmised that the 1 percent rule makes more
silvers available for the commercial fishermen.
MR. JENSEN answered that is quite possible for silver salmon,
but their past catches haven't been that great.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said by contrast that means less silvers of
the already few that get through for sport fishermen.
MR. JENSEN answered that was a possibility.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked him to explain what "paired
restrictions" are and if those had been changed on the Kenai
River.
4:00:10 PM
MR. JENSEN answered that there is no set net fishing during the
early runs, so paired restrictions have a lot to do with the
late run king salmon on the Kenai River. A paired restriction is
if the runs are so low that the sport fishermen or the guided
sport fishermen are fishing non-retention and no bait, then the
set netters on the outside get reduced time or no time at all.
They are given 12 hours a week unless there is a serious
shortage of King salmon, and then they lose that time. They have
sat on the beach for up to 12 openings.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI surmised that the board weakened the
commercial fish component of the paired restrictions in the
Kenai River.
MR. JENSEN answered he didn't think the board did.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said the board removed any King salmon
conservation measures in August for the commercial set net
fishery.
MR. JENSEN responded that actually by the time it matters in
late July or early August the majority of late run King salmon
in the Kenai River are past. Some are left, but not many.
4:02:05 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the King salmon conservation
measures the board made for the commercial set net fishery
increased or decreased the number of King salmon that got into
the Kasilof River.
MR. JENSEN replied that according to the ADF&G, it didn't make
any significant change.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the board increased or decreased
the area that was available for dipnetting in the Kenai River.
MR. JENSEN replied that they gave some extra areas to
dipnetters.
4:03:05 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said as he understands it, they changed the
dipnetting areas in the Kenai River from the upstream to the
downstream side of the Warren Ames Bridge to align at the mouth
of the Kenai River from No Name Creek on the north shore to an
ADF&G regulatory marker on the south shore.
MR. JENSEN responded that he believed that was accurate. That
was a combination of a department proposal and an individual
proposal. He added that it is a more convenient area for people
to fish, at the same time recognizing the habitat damage
happening around the Warren Ames Bridge area.
4:03:59 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked where the dipnet area was added.
MR. JENSEN said he couldn't say off the top of his head. There
were over 160 proposals.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said he wanted to get that information,
because his understanding is that no more dipnetting area was
added. He asked if the closing of that area is likely to further
crowd dip netters into the area down by the mouth.
MR. JENSEN said he would have to refer to his notes for that
information.
4:05:03 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he is concerned about escapement
of King salmon in the Kasilof River and if he thinks action
needs to be taken to have sonar put in place to count returning
King salmon there.
MR. JENSEN replied that sonar is a very valuable tool that he
encourages the department to use. He added that they changed an
early run regulation the department had into something quite a
bit different on a 7X1 vote to let more large fish on the early
run King salmon go up the Kenai River. He thought that was one
of the best things they did at the whole meeting.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the closing of that area for dip
netting was done for habitat reasons, and if some fish plants
are in the area that are impacting it.
MR. JENSEN replied that he believes there is one fish plant up
that way, but he wasn't sure it was functioning. He knows that a
couple of plants went out of business and that could have been
one of them.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked what habitat concerns ADF&G had in
the Warren Ames Bridge area.
MR. JENSEN answered mainly foot traffic from fishermen and duck
hunters leading to sloughing on the bank.
CHAIR GIESSEL, finding no further questions, thanked Mr. Jensen
and asked him to stay on line.
CHAIR GIESSEL welcomed Mr. Reed Morisky. He was first appointed
to the board in 2013.
4:08:41 PM
REED MORISKY, Fairbanks Alaska, said he had been on the board
for almost four years. He recently retired from the University
of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) as a project manager. He has been a
sport fishing guide since 1984.
As a Board of Fisheries member, he has brought an attitude of
respect and fairness to the process, he said. Alaska is unique
in how the Boards of Fisheries and Game are configured and he is
honored to be able to assist residents in having access to a
regulatory and allocative process. He enjoys meeting all the
stakeholders and hearing their concerns. At his core he believes
they can disagree without being disagreeable. He has a proven
track record for taking a reasonable and rational approach to
his decision-making.
4:10:15 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL said the top half of the Kenai Peninsula used to
be her district and she heard from those folks that the board
hadn't had a meeting there in quite some time. Has the board
been meeting there?
MR. MORISKY answered that the board votes on locations, and the
last time the vote came up it was very contentious, and
Anchorage was selected. It was contentious after that and the
vote was to keep it in Anchorage. He added that folks in Mat-
Su/Wasilla/Palmer are stakeholders, too. Anchorage is a neutral
location, because it is central. Frankly, a lot of the Anchorage
audience is from the Kenai, but they also get folks from the
Mat-Su. The board had a work session in Soldotna last October in
which it took public testimony, he added.
4:12:51 PM
SENATOR COGHILL thanked him for his willingness to serve on the
board. For him the Interior waterways is a forgotten world where
some of the fish end up but not in the same volumes as Bristol
Bay or the Kenai area. He asked what Mr. Morisky could bring
that may be valuable to those Interior waterways.
MR. MORISKY answered that he has a family member who has been in
and out of the commercial fishing industry for over three
decades, but he has been in the Interior for over 35 years. He
understands the up-river perspective and it is important to him,
because they are 600-700 miles from salt water and by the time
the fish get up there everybody else has gotten to them from
trawlers to seals.
4:14:59 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL opened public comment.
4:16:34 PM
JENNIFER EHMANN, Chair, Mat-Su Valley Fish and Game Advisory
Committee (AC), Palmer, Alaska, said the committee voted
unanimously to support Mr. Morisky's re-appointment to the Board
of Fisheries. She recognized all the dedication and hard work
the Board of Fisheries members give to this critical process and
thanked them for their service. The AC has not had the
opportunity to discuss other re-appointments, but plan to do so
in up-coming meetings.
4:17:39 PM
JERRY MCCUNE, United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA), Juneau, Alaska,
supported the confirmations of Fritz Johnson and John Jensen to
the Board of Fisheries. He had known Mr. Jensen for a long time
and he is the most senior member on the board. He always seems
to be fair and open and listens well. Mr. Johnson has already
been on the board that has a big learning curve. So he has a
good start. It takes probably six years to go around the state
and get experience in all the different areas. They both have a
lot of experience across the state.
4:19:20 PM
GARY HOLLIER, representing himself, Kenai, Alaska, said he is an
East Side set netter, and supported all three nominations: Mr.
Morisky, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Jensen. He doesn't agree on a
whole lot of issues with Mr. Morisky, but he makes himself
available and that is appreciated. He dealt with Mr. Johnson at
the February 14th meeting and found that he has the ability to
analyze the data and articulate his votes up or down. He would
also make a good member especially after already serving three
years.
MR. HOLLIER said the most important appointment is Mr. Jensen.
Among his other abilities, as chairman, he has frequently
demonstrated the ability to control a board meeting that is very
contentious.
4:21:40 PM
PAUL SHADURA, representing, South K-Beach Independent
Fisherman's Association, Kasilof, Alaska, supported all three
nominees for the Board of Fisheries: John Jensen, Reed Morisky,
and Fritz Johnson. Even though the association didn't have all
their concerns addressed in the recent Cook Inlet meeting, they
felt the issues that were addressed were discussed in an open,
clear, and transparent process. The board offered considerable
time for the public to testify and allowed additional comments
to clarify issues within the committee as a whole. The AC
representatives were given additional time to express their
voice for their respective communities. The board thoroughly
discussed and debated several management plans. Decisions were
carefully crafted to balance and adjust critical management
plans with the goal of high sustained yield. The board is tasked
with conserving and developing strong healthy productive runs
and ensuring a reasonable access to all residents of Alaska.
4:23:14 PM
DAN DUNAWAY, representing himself, Dillingham, Alaska, supported
Fritz Johnson's confirmation to the Board of Fisheries. Mr.
Dunaway said he is a lifelong Alaskan and a 28-year resident of
Dillingham; he sits on the Nushigak Advisory Committee and the
Bristol Bay Federal Subsistence Rural Council. He spent time
with Mr. Johnson on his boat during his work with university and
found him very thoughtful. He is well-respected by the
community. He is fair and ethical, and is capable of balanced
decisions. He doesn't have a preference for any user group; he
is respectful of and appreciates all of them.
4:24:35 PM
GAYLA HOSETH, Nushagak Advisory Committee (AC), Dillingham,
Alaska, supported Fritz Johnson's appointment to the Board of
Fisheries. She explained that representatives for the Nushagak
AC were selected from the residents of the many villages in its
area that are the most respected for their knowledge and local
uses of the fish and wildlife resources. At the March 10th
meeting they voted unanimously to support Fritz Johnson. He is a
long-time resident of Dillingham and is well known and highly
respected for his work throughout the Bristol Bay region as a
commercial fisherman, former journalist, media director at the
Bristol Bay Native Association, former regional fisheries
director for the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation
and current director of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.
During the Nushagak AC meeting several members spoke of Mr.
Johnson's extensive experience in the Bristol Bay commercial
fishery and his widespread respect among the regional fishermen.
With his previous board experience, Mr. Johnson already
understands the nuances of many fisheries which can help him to
fully address highly complex fishery issues.
4:26:36 PM
NICK SMEATON, representing himself, Dillingham, Alaska,
supported Fritz Johnson's appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
Mr. Smeaton said he was a lifelong fisherman in Bristol Bay as
had many generations before him and had known Fritz for many
years and had fished beside him. He is very considerate of
everyone out there in the fisheries. He has a lot of different
ideas, but he listens to everybody first.
MR. SMEATON said he also had a fishing violation many years ago,
but he never had another one.
4:27:52 PM
VERNER WILSON, III, Director, Natural Resources, Bristol Bay
Native Association (BBNA), Dillingham, Alaska, said he was
speaking on behalf of the president and CEO, Ralph Anderson, in
support of Fritz Johnson to the Board of Fisheries. His
appointment will be in keeping with BBNA's resolution 2016-03,
entitled "A Resolution in Support of Keeping a Bristol Bay
Region Seat on the Alaska Board of Fisheries" passed by the
full board of directors last year. Among other things, it states
that the membership of BBNA is of 31 federally recognized tribal
governments in the region, the watershed of the Bristol Bay
Region that supports the world's most prolific wild salmon runs.
It says:
Our commercial fisheries in Bristol Bay typically
supply almost half of the world's wild sockeye salmon.
Bristol Bay's fishery alone represented nearly one-
third of the total Alaska salmon harvest value. It
supported 12,000 fishing jobs important to Alaskans
around the state. And since 1975, recognizing the
importance of Bristol Bay's fisheries to the state,
Alaska's leaders have traditionally designated at
least one of seven seats on the Board of Fisheries as
a member connected with the Bristol Bay Region. BBNA
recognizes the importance of the Alaska Board of
Fisheries to the regulation and well-being of our
region's fisheries.
MR. WILSON said the board passed this resolution in 2016, but no
one from Bristol Bay was appointed, which lead to the passing of
this resolution.
4:30:08 PM
GARY CLINE, Regional Fisheries Director, Bristol Bay Economic
Development Corporation, Dillingham, Alaska, supported Mr.
Johnson's appointment to the Board of Fisheries. Mr. Cline said
he grew up as a commercial fisherman, sport fisherman, and
subsistence fisher. He would love the salmon fisheries to remain
a cornerstone of his livelihood as well as the residents of
Bristol Bay. It's crucial to have a local Bristol Bay fisherman
seated on the board who has experience and knowledge of all five
commercial within the Bristol Bay region.
MR. CLINE said he was privileged to attend the last Bristol Bay
fin fish meeting and the Alaska Peninsula Fin Fish Meeting and
he admired Mr. Johnson's due diligence to engage with all the
other user groups to absorb all their knowledge so he can make
fair, unbiased, and concise decisions.
4:32:01 PM
ROBERT HAYANO, representing himself, Dillingham, Alaska,
supported all three appointees: John Jensen, Reed Morisky, and
Fritz Johnson. From attending past meetings he found all three
gentlemen to be very accessible to the public, which is a key
element in this successful process. He felt they did their due
diligence in reviewing all the information before and during the
meeting and made informed decisions even though he didn't always
agree with them. It is very important to keep experienced people
on the board, because Alaska's fisheries are a very complex
resource.
4:33:31 PM
CURT ARMSTRONG, representing himself, Dillingham, Alaska,
supported all three appointees to the Board of Fisheries: John
Jensen, Reed Morisky, and Fritz Johnson. He has attended a few
board meetings and found them all to be receptive to listening
to all sides of a contentious issue and coming up with workable
solutions.
4:35:02 PM
OLIVER HOLM, representing himself, Kodiak, Alaska, supported
John Jensen's reappointment to the Board of Fisheries. Mr. Holm
who had been on the Kodiak AC for 27 years and had other
fisheries experience, found Mr. Jensen very knowledgeable about
the board's policies; he is very approachable and an excellent
chairman. The board needs someone with a broad experience in the
state's fisheries beyond salmon and fresh water fisheries.
4:36:13 PM
SUE JEFFREY, representing herself, Kodiak, Alaska, fully
supported all three appointees to the Board of Fisheries: John
Jensen, Reed Morisky, and Fritz Johnson. She said she is
currently on the Board of Fisheries and has served with all
three appointees and that Alaska's fisheries are broad reaching
and complex. Mr. Jensen's long service on the board and his
institutional memory is especially valuable to the state during
challenging times. She knows all three would take conservation
into consideration first and foremost. All three care very
sincerely about the health of the resource and understand its
importance to all the users. They will ensure a thorough and
transparent process.
4:38:37 PM
JEFF STEPHAN, United Fishermen's Marketing Association (UFMA),
Kodiak, Alaska, strongly supported all three appointees to the
Board of Fisheries: John Jensen, Reed Morisky, and Fritz
Johnson. Mr. Stephan said he attended his first Board of
Fisheries meeting in November 1978 and has interacted with and
observed the board and its members since then on a broad variety
of issues and challenges. He found the current board with the
addition of Fritz Johnson has some of the best balanced,
informed, and dedicated members he has seen. The State of Alaska
should be proud of the way the Board of Fisheries has conducted
themselves. They don't always agree, but that is want is needed
in a body like that. They come with different perspectives, but
always work very diligently towards principals of sustainability
and good management. They are all intelligent individuals and
clearly dedicated to environmentally sound management principals
of sustainability.
4:41:50 PM
WES HUMBYRD, representing himself, Homer, Alaska, supported
Fritz Johnson's and John Jensen's appointments to the Board of
Fisheries, but not Reed Morisky. Mr. Humbyrd is a commercial
drifter and doesn't want Mr. Morisky on the board, because he
never agrees with anything that happens in Cook Inlet. Mr.
Johnson and Mr. Jensen are both approachable, and even though
they don't always agree, their differences are based on science.
The fisheries should be managed on escapement goals and
sustained yield.
MR. HUMBYRD said the Cook Inlet has a problem and it's in the
Mat-Su Valley where 135 lakes are infested with pike. So the
sockeye salmon are being allocated into the Mat-Su Valley for
the non-resident sport fishermen but the pike eat them.
4:43:30 PM
DAVID HILLSTRAND, representing himself, Homer, Alaska, supported
Fritz Johnson's and John Jensen's appointments to the Board of
Fisheries, but not Reed Morisky. The definition of
"conservation" is the wise use of our resources without wasting
them, he said and suggested having a standard and criteria for
any board member that is nominated.
He explained that the allocation of Cook Inlet fish to the
personal use and the sport fishers has led to waste of many
fish. He said 2-7 million chum salmon are not being caught, 2-10
million pink salmon are not getting caught, and for five out of
six years, 500,000-plus sockeye have not been caught; that is
waste in his eyes.
4:45:36 PM
MALCOLM MILNE, President, North Pacific Fisheries Association
(NPFA), Homer, Alaska, supported John Jensen's appointment to
the Board of Fisheries. He explained that NPFA members are a
multi-gear, multi-species commercial fishing organization based
in Homer. It represents over 50 family fishing operations and
the members participate in many fisheries throughout the state
from Southeast to the Bering Sea. NPFA has participated in the
board process since in 1955. Members respect Mr. Jensen and know
him to be a considerate and informed board member. He has served
since 2003 and his institutional knowledge and historical
perspective are quite valuable. Although the association has not
always agreed with Mr. Jensen's decisions, he has always been
respectful and listened to all sides of an issue.
4:47:27 PM
IAN PITZMAN, representing himself, Homer, Alaska, supported all
three appointees to the Board of Fisheries: John Jensen, Reed
Morisky, and Fritz Johnson, especially Mr. Jensen. Mr. Pitzman
said he is drifter in Cook Inlet and is involved in the cod
fishery in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. He also
operates a crab boat in the Bering Sea. However, he had focused
his comments on John Jensen saying that he has seen Mr. Jensen
in many different meetings and believes his best asset is his
broad understanding of the varied fisheries in areas around the
state, both sport fisheries and commercial fisheries. While he
doesn't always agree with Mr. Jensen's positions, his
discussions, and his reasoning using the best available science
in explaining how he votes, makes him easy to understand.
He said Mr. Jensen is a great advocate for the state and the
fisheries resources and a fair judge of allocation. He asked
them to remember that the commercial fishery in Alaska is a
multi-billion dollar business and it needs regulators that
understand the business. He closed by asking the committee to
forward all three names.
4:49:10 PM
ARNE THOMSON, contractor/consultant, Alaska Salmon Alliance,
Anchorage, Alaska, supported all three appointees to the Board
of Fisheries: John Jensen, Reed Morisky, and Fritz Johnson. He
has personally and professionally known Mr. Jensen for over 25
years and he is a man with diversified fisheries experience who
has a refreshing spirit of respect and collaboration.
MR. THOMSON said he respects the knowledge and balance of
interests that Mr. Morisky brings to the board.
Finally, they appreciate the fact that Fritz Johnson from
Dillingham has agreed to come back and serve on the board. He is
a man of integrity with extensive fisheries experience and is
already established his collaborative, cooperative, and
respectful nature.
4:51:00 PM
AL BARRETTE, representing himself, Fairbanks, Alaska, supported
Reed Morisky's appointment to the Board of Fisheries. Before he
was even a board member, Mr. Morisky would attend the AC
meetings in Fairbanks. Since he has been a board member, he
almost religiously attends the AC meetings. He listens and is
able to answer questions with good detail on why the board took
certain actions. It is excellent to have an end-user on the
board.
CHAIR GIESSEL, finding no further comments, closed public
testimony. She stated the following:
In accordance with AS 39.05.080, the Resources
Committee reviewed the following and recommends the
appointments be forwarded to a joint session for
consideration: Board of Fisheries: Fritz Johnson from
Dillingham, John Jensen from Petersburg, and Reed
Morisky from Fairbanks.
This does not reflect an intent by any of the members
to vote for or against the confirmation of the
individuals during any further sessions.
4:53:25 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL adjourned the Senate Resources Committee meeting
at 4:53 p.m.