Legislature(2023 - 2024)BUTROVICH 205
01/27/2023 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB10 | |
| Presentation: Status of the Arctic, Yukon, and Kuskokwim River Fisheries | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 10 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
January 27, 2023
3:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Click Bishop, Co-Chair
Senator Cathy Giessel, Co-Chair
Senator Scott Kawasaki
Senator James Kaufman
Senator Forrest Dunbar
Senator Matt Claman
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Bill Wielechowski, Vice Chair
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative CJ McCormick
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: STATUS OF THE ARCTIC YUKON AND KUSKOKWIM FISHERIES
- HEARD
SENATE BILL NO. 10
"An Act providing for trapping licenses for active members of
the Alaska National Guard and military reserves without charge;
making sport fishing, hunting, and trapping permanent
identification cards available to certain disabled veterans
without charge; and providing for an effective date."
- HEARD & HELD
WITNESS REGISTER
SENATOR JESSE KIEHL, District B
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SB 10.
CATHY SCHLINGHEYDE, Staff
Senator Jesse Kiehl
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented the sectional analysis for SB 10
on behalf of the sponsor.
JOHN STURGEON, President
Safari Club Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation in support of SB 10.
TROY ECK, State Commander
Veterans of Foreign Wars
North Pole, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation in support of SB 10.
DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Commissioner
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)
Anchorage, Alaska.
POSITION STATEMENT: Delivered a presentation on the status of
the Arctic, Yukon, and Kuskokwim fisheries.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3::26 PM
CO-CHAIR CLICK BISHOP called the Senate Resources Standing
Committee meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Dunbar, Kawasaki, Claman, Co-Chair Giessel
and Co-Chair Bishop. Senator Kaufman arrived soon thereafter.
SB 10-HUNTING/TRAPPING/FISHING: DISABLED VETS
3:31:22 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO.
10 "An Act providing for trapping licenses for active members of
the Alaska National Guard and military reserves without charge;
making sport fishing, hunting, and trapping permanent
identification cards available to certain disabled veterans
without charge; and providing for an effective date."
3:31:43 PM
SENATOR KAUFMAN joined the committee.
3:31:54 PM
SENATOR JESSE KIEHL, District B, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of SB 10, stated that this legislation
brings parity between several license types and benefits
Alaska's service-disabled veterans. Under current law, Alaskans
60 years of age qualify for a lifetime hunting, fishing, and
trapping license. Current law also provides that Alaska's
service-disabled veterans are entitled to a lifetime hunting and
fishing license, but not a trapping license. There doesn't seem
to be any explanation for this exclusion. SB 10 adds trapping to
the service-disabled veteran lifetime hunting and fishing
license.
SENATOR KIEHL noted that when he introduced the bill last year,
the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) asked him to add
trapping to the annual free hunting and fishing license for
active duty members of the Alaska National Guard and the
military reserves and he was happy to do so. He highlighted that
SB 10 has support from outdoor groups and veteran service
organizations. It's a small token of appreciation and respect
for these men and women.
3:34:04 PM
At ease
3:34:42 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP reconvened the meeting and recognized that
Representative CJ McCormick was in the audience.
3:35:09 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN commented that it was a good bill.
3:35:27 PM
CATHY SCHLINGHEYDE, Staff, Senator Jesse Kiehl, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, presented the following sectional
analysis for SB 10 on behalf of the sponsor:
Sec. 1: Makes a conforming change to a cross reference
in the statute exempting service- disabled veterans
from buying waterfowl conservation tags.
Sec. 2: Makes a conforming change to a cross reference
in the statute exempting service- disabled veterans
from buying king salmon tags.
Sec. 3: Adds a free trapping license for active-duty
National Guard members and military reservists. Makes
a conforming change to remove service-disabled
veterans from the free license statute.
Sec. 4: Makes service-disabled veterans who live in
Alaska eligible for a free permanent ID for hunting,
fishing, and trapping.
Sec. 5: Makes a conforming change to repeal and
reenact language for clarity.
Sec. 6: Adds an effective date of January 1, 2024.
3:36:01 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR asked whether the definition for "active members
of the Alaska National Guard and military reserve" would include
members of the Active Guard Reserve (AGR) Program, which is paid
for with Title 10 funds.
MS. SCHLINGHEYDE replied that the definition was in the current
statute and it cross-referenced a statute about mortgage
eligibility for veterans. The definition in that statute is one
weekend per month and 15 consecutive days per year.
3:37:10 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked if the conditions for Alaska residency
would apply.
SENATOR KIEHL answered that the bill is for Alaska residents and
it uses the existing definition for residency that is in the
fish and game laws. The bill does not change those laws.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP turned to invited testimony.
3:38:13 PM
JOHN STURGEON, President, Safari Club Alaska (SCAA), Anchorage,
Alaska, stated that he was representing the 700 members of
Safari Club Alaska in support of SB 10. It adds trapping to the
existing hunting and fishing license for disabled veterans. SCAA
views this as a small price for the state to pay to show these
veterans that their service was very much appreciated.
3:39:17 PM
TROY ECK, State Commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars, North Pole,
Alaska, stated that he works with veterans throughout the state
every day and they view the ability to acquire a hunting and
fishing license as one of the best benefits they enjoy in
Alaska. Adding trapping would get even more veterans outside
into the available areas. When veterans get outside, their
health and happiness improves, and their productivity and
community service increases. He agreed with the previous
comments that this was a small token that would mean the world
to many veterans in the state.
3:40:54 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP found no questions or comments, and held SB 10
in committee.
3:41:01 PM
At ease
^PRESENTATION: Status of the Arctic, Yukon, and Kuskokwim River
Fisheries
PRESENTATION: STATUS OF THE ARCTIC, YUKON, AND KUSKOKWIM RIVER
FISHERIES
3:42:17 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP reconvened the meeting and announced a
presentation on the status of the Arctic, Yukon, and Kuskokwim
(AYK) fisheries.
3:42:56 PM
DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Fish and
Game (ADF&G), Juneau, Alaska, stated that the AYK fisheries
encompass the geographic area from the Arctic Ocean down into
the Fairbanks region, the entire Yukon and Kuskokwim river
drainages and all the drainages that flow into the Bering Sea,
including in the Nome area. He advised that he would talk about
what the department knows about run status of these fisheries
and what it is doing to address the situation.
He explained that an important consideration for the Yukon River
is that the state does not have unilateral control over
management of the King salmon and the fall chum salmon runs
because of a Pacific salmon treaty obligation to pass fish that
are commonly shared between the US and Canada. For both runs,
about 60 percent occurs in US waters and 40 percent in Canadian
waters. In both cases, a panel sets border passage objectives.
ADF&G is the lead negotiator for the US.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG displayed a bar graph of the total
King salmon run in the Yukon River drainage from 1997 through
2022 He pointed out that run size the last three years was well
below the 183,000 fish average. The King salmon run in 2022 was
the lowest on record. He said the evidence indicates that poor
marine survival is the cause. It doesn't appear to be related to
fresh water, but the department is also looking at the fish
disease Ichthyophonus.
3:46:06 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG displayed a bar graph of the Yukon
River King salmon harvest levels in Alaska from 1982 through
2022. The solid red bars reflect the amounts necessary for
subsistence. The graph clearly illustrates that except for 2019,
the state has not met harvest levels for subsistence since about
2010.
The harvest opportunity in 2014, 2015, 2019, and 2020 was almost
nonexistent. He clarified that there had not been any inriver
harvest in other fisheries such as commercial, personal use, and
sport fisheries. Subsistence was the only inriver harvest in the
last 10 years was subsistence and that production had been
insufficient to meet ANS amounts [amounts necessary for
subsistence] for Yukon River King salmon.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP asked for a description of the treaty obligation
past the Eagle sonar project, [the final count before the fish
enter Canadian waters].
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG answered that it's 42,500 to 55,000
fish.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG displayed a bar graph of the total
Yukon River summer chum salmon run from 1998 through 2022. He
said this run is not treaty obligated but there are treaty
considerations in managing the fishery. These fish are typically
for substance harvest by either fish wheels or gillnets.
Gillnets are fairly indiscriminate, so the department has to be
careful not to allow the harvest of other species such as fall
run chum salmon or King salmon.
The graph shows that drainage-wide escapement was high until
about 2020 and then it dropped precipitously. This was not the
result of poor parent year escapements. The green bars show that
escapements were adequate to provide runs of about 1.5 million
fish but in 2021, with no significant harvest, about 220,000
fish returned. ADF&G is beginning to piece together what
happened to those summer chums. He noted that he'd expand on
that later in the presentation.
3:48:22 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG displayed a bar graph of the Yukon
River summer chum salmon harvest by type from 1998 through 2022.
It shows that the [83,500 to 142,192] amounts were met until
2019. In 2021 and 2022 the summer chum salmon fisheries were
severely restricted to meet escapement goals.
3:48:44 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG displayed a bar graph of the Yukon
River fall chum salmon run size from 1974 through 2022. The
escapement goal ranges were met from 2004 through 2019. There
were harvest opportunities for both the US and Canada. But then
the escapement goal was not met in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
3:49:14 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG displayed a bar graph of the Yukon
River fall chum salmon subsistence and personal use harvests
from 1990 through 2022. The blue bars show the subsistence
harvests and the two black lines show the [89,200-167,900
amounts necessary for subsistence. In the years that harvests
did meet the ANS amounts, it was at the bottom of the range. The
last three years the subsistence harvests were the ANS minimum.
There has been virtually no opportunity to fish in that river so
the escapement objectives and King salmon numbers are met.
3:49:38 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG noted that the presentation did not
include slides for coho salmon and other fin fish species, but
coho have not met the escapement goal in the last three years in
the Yukon River, and coho salmon fisheries have been severely
restricted as a result of not meeting escapement objectives.
This resulted in more directed effort on the harvest of
nontraditional subsistence foods such as whitefish and other
salmon species such as sockeye and pink salmon. Anecdotal
information suggests that these fish are beginning to show the
stress of increased harvest and likely reduced production
because whitefish like to feed on salmon eggs and those supplies
are reduced. Sockeye seem to be the species that is still
surviving in the ocean and the result is that more of these fish
are showing up in the Yukon River drainage, particularly when
lakes are associated. His belief was that there would be more
sockeye opportunities over time.
3:51:01 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG displayed a bar graph that showed the
Kuskokwim River King salmon subsistence harvest from 1990-2022.
He noted that with few exceptions the escapement goals were met,
which was very different than the Yukon River and there wasn't a
clear explanation for the difference.
3:51:25 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG displayed a bar graph of the Kuskokwim
River King salmon subsistence harvest from 1990-2022. It showed
that the lower end of the current ANS ranges were not being met.
Escapement goals were met, but the subsistence harvest
opportunity was only about 20,000 to 30,000 fish. Unlike the
Yukon, fish are getting into both the middle/upper and the lower
river drainages but most of the subsistence opportunities are in
the lower river. He noted that the ongoing lawsuit between the
federal government and the State of Alaska prohibits ADF&G from
managing the lower river. Last summer, restrictions were placed
on the upper part of the river because the US Fish and Wildlife
Service allowed lower river harvests that ADF&G disagreed with
but did not have emergency order authority to stop the harvest.
The result was that some upper river escapement goals were not
met. He said it would be troubling if this were to continue.
3:52:53 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG displayed slide 10 and noted that the
Kuskokwim River was seeing the same run failures for chum salmon
as in the Yukon River drainage. The ANS amounts were largely
being met until 2019 but fell off dramatically after that.
Subsistence harvests have been limited to meet escapement goals.
He added that what is bright about chum salmon in both rivers is
that there was an increase in escapement. ADF&G anticipates chum
salmon runs to increase but it was unclear whether it would be
enough to meet escapement and reasonable subsistence harvest
opportunities.
3:53:57 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG displayed slide 11 and relayed that
the returns for coho salmon on the Kuskokwim River have been
reduced since 2018 and subsistence fishing was restricted in
2022. The ANS escapement goals were met in six of the nine years
from 2013-2021.
3:54:15 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG turned to slide 12 to discuss sockeye
salmon in the Kuskokwim River. Similar to the experience on the
Yukon River, sockeye salmon are showing up in greater numbers on
the Kuskokwim River. Some of the lake systems on that river are
showing increased productivity and people are increasingly
relying on sockeye as a food source instead of the less
available chum and King salmon.
3:54:53 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP asked for confirmation that sockeye salmon eat
different things than chum, coho and King salmon.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG agreed; sockeye primarily feed on
plankton in the ocean whereas chum and Kings start as
zooplankton feeders and then transition to eating other fish. He
said what's happening to chum salmon is somewhat a mystery, but
one thought is that with 68 million sockeye now returning to
Bristol Bay, close to 1.8 billion sockeye fry probably are going
into the Bering Sea system and near-shore waters of Bristol Bay.
They're devouring things that are part of the food web for crab
and many fish, including chum, coho, and King salmon. The high
number of cod and pollack are likely also contributing to the
declines.
3:56:17 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG paraphrased the text on slide 13 that
read as follows:
Summary
Overall, king salmon have seen reduced productivity
the past decade and chum and coho salmon over the past
three years. This has resulted in closed commercial,
sport and personal use fisheries and severely
restricted or closed subsistence fisheries. This has
impacted local communities, rural culture and
practices, and economies.
On the other hand, sockeye salmon have seen increased
productivity, but commercial opportunities are limited
due to bycatch of chinook, coho or chum salmon.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG relayed that what's happening in the
lower Kuskokwim River led the fight between the state and
federal government. The state opened several subsistence sockeye
salmon fisheries when it saw sockeye numbers increase and the
federal government didn't like that decision. The state was
preempted but the next year the federal government did the same
thing.
3:57:57 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG turned to slide 14 and discussed the
following bullets:
What are we doing about this?
• Distributed food to communities impacted by
closures. This was food security money which is
now exhausted. We are working with non-
governmental organizations to fill this need if
it arises again.
• Began a new department marine science program to
begin unraveling what is happening in the ocean
as most evidence is pointing to low marine
survival and productivity.
• Provided [$1.5 million] funding and participated
in the International Year of the Salmon marine
survey program. Data analysis is ongoing. [ADF&G
staff participated to get a better idea of what
is happening beyond the near shore marine area.]
• Formed a Bycatch Task Force to review this issue
and to make recommendations report handed to
Governor in December 2022. Being used by the BOF
and NPFMC. [The report provides a map for how to
move forward on bycatch.
• Working with the industry to address chum salmon
bycatch in the Bering Sea trawl fisheries and
have formed a committee to develop a problem
statement and list of alternatives for analyses.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG relayed that one specific
recommendation was to have the North Pacific Fishery Management
Council look at the issue of chum salmon bycatch and whether a
bycatch cap was appropriate for the trawl fisheries. The council
formed a workgroup of the trawl industry and affected YK inriver
users to identify alternatives to address chum salmon bycatch.
The council will initiate an analysis at the April meeting to
address the issue.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said what's tricky about chum salmon
bycatch is that nearly 80 percent that are caught in the Bering
Sea are Asian origin hatchery fish. When the department looked
at the year when 200,000 fish returned, about 1.2 million chum
were missing and about 20-30,000 were bycatch in the Bering Sea
trawl fishery. Bycatch isn't the smoking gun, but the council
still is taking steps to reduce bycatch. Included is the
consideration of whether to have a chum salmon bycatch cap. The
department is moving carefully since the majority of the chum
are Asian origin. A King salmon bycatch cap has been instituted.
The fleet is well under that threshold, but reducing the bycatch
of chum salmon could unintentionally increase the harvest of
King salmon. He noted that the industry voluntarily instituted
restrictions and ways to test fish areas and move the fleet to
reduce bycatch and that resulted in significant reductions in
chum salmon bycatch last summer.
• Worked with fishermen to reduce the harvest of
chum salmon in South Peninsula mixed stock
fisheries this past summer.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said the department knows that chum
salmon spend up to two months in the northern Bering Sea close
to the river mouths before they head down into the Gulf of
Alaska south of the Alaska Peninsula. The South Peninsula
fishery primarily targets sockeye salmon headed to Bristol Bay,
but there is incidental harvest of chum salmon. Two years ago,
the June fishery that primarily harvests fish going to coastal
Western Alaska had an incidental harvest of 1.2 million chum
salmon, which was much higher than the historic average. The
department told the fleet to reduce the harvest or it would be
done with time and area executive authority. Through voluntary
measures and test fishing, the fleet reduced the incidental
harvest to about 500,000 fish, which was closer to the long-term
average.
• Collected new genetic information [about the
incidental harvest of chum salmon] to inform
Board deliberations on South Peninsula fisheries
this February.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP asked him to share the conversation they had
about the genetics of chum salmon.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said the hope is that the new genetic
information will show hot spots spatially and temporarily so the
department can take action to reduce the incidental catch of
chum salmon that are heading to the AYK region.
4:07:00 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR asked if he was referring to the total catch or
bycatch when he mentioned 1.2 million and 500,000 fish and where
bycatch data comes from for the South Peninsula fisheries.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG clarified that he was talking about
incidental harvest. Bycatch refers to the harvest of a
prohibited species. The numbers came from fish tickets and the
department knows that a large percentage of the incidental catch
in that fishery were Asian origin fish. The board will have that
data when it tries to reduce the catch of Alaska chum salmon.
4:08:22 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked if the data about bycatch in the Bering
Sea that affects the Yukon River was readily available.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said he would supply the numbers, but
they're posted regularly on the North Pacific Fisheries
Management Council website. The website also has the information
in reports from staff.
SENATOR KAWASAKI referenced the graph on slide 3 that showed the
Yukon River King salmon harvest numbers since 1982. He observed
that the bottom fell out of the commercial harvest starting in
2008 and it never recovered. He requested the anticipated
bycatch for six years both before and after 2008.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said he'd provide the information and
could also give a presentation on what the department knows
about bycatch in the Bering Sea trawl fisheries.
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked for information during that timeframe
when the different administrations imposed restrictions on the
trawl fleets.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG agreed to provide the information and
restated the offer to give a presentation.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP requested he send the information to his office
and he would distribute it to the committee.
4:11:18 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR asked how quickly the department was able to get
information about genetics and the Asian origin of certain runs
out to the public because it wasn't common knowledge.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said both ADF&G and the National
Marine Fisheries Service have genetics labs. The federal lab
does most of the work on bycatch and it takes six to eight
months for that data to be released. The department collected
South Peninsula fishery data this year that will inform the
Board of Fish deliberations in February.
4:12:40 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG continued to discuss what the
department was doing about the reduced productivity of salmon
runs in the AYK fisheries.
[Original punctuation provided.]
• Developing spend plans for identified fisheries
disasters. Included research as an element of
each spend plan. Also worked with Congress to
ensure communities has access to disaster funds.
• Working with partners to address science issues
inriver.
• We are studying Ichthyophonus as factor
affecting inriver returns of Chinook salmon.
• We are beginning an inriver radio telemetry
study to inform placement of a mid-river sonar
in the Yukon River.
• We are beginning a study of fall chum near the
border to determine inriver factors affecting
survival.
• Working with the BOF and Canada on options to
provide a limited number of salmon for culture
camps. We are exploring using our educational
permit system to provide a limited number of
summer chum for culture camps to help maintain
culture while the runs rebuild.
4:18:26 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP expressed appreciation for the culture camps.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG continued discussion of the
following:
• Working with Canada on ideas for rehabilitation
via hatcheries in the Yukon. Open to ideas in the
Kuskokwim and Norton Sound regarding inriver
incubation boxes.
• Working with Federal Partners to leverage
Infrastructure and Build Back Better dollars.
• Cooperation in the Kuskokwim River is hindered by
the US government's lawsuit against the State of
Alaska.
4:22:18 PM
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL asked for more information about the hatchery
in Fairbanks.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG explained that it's a sport fish
hatchery that was paid for by sport fishermen and it's at full
capacity.
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked about the $1.5 million that the Senate
added to the fish and game budget last year to study bycatch in
the YK area that the governor vetoed.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP recalled that the funding to study the Kuskokwim
was vetoed.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said the belief was that the money
would be used to immediately differentiate the origin of salmon
from the Kuskokwim, Yukon, and Norton Sound area. However, the
geneticists from NOAA and the department said the foundational
science to answer that question was lacking. There are numbers
on chum salmon bycatch and the department is continuing to
collect numbers on the Coastal Western Alaska versus Asian chum
distribution without that money.
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked if he was saying that the $1.2 million
wouldn't have improved the study.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said the department is looking for the
genetic sequence to differentiate the salmon but the assumption
with the funding was that the question could be answered and
neither the NOAA lab nor the department's lab could do that in
that timeframe. He also recalled that the assumption was that
the assessments could be done in-season for the daily trawl.
However, a lot more thought and design is required prior to
spending the money on that question.
SENATOR KAWASAKI suggested that the money could have been used
over a number of years.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said staff was looking at the most
recent data to find the right sequence to determine which fish
were Bristol Bay chum, which were Yukon chum, and which were
Kuskokwim chum in order to better target actions to reduce the
right chum harvest in the South Peninsula fisheries.
SENATOR KAWASAKI said the legislature ought to know what the
department needs.
4:28:27 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP asked if there was any evidence to support the
contention that hatchery fish are competing with these salmon in
the ocean.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG replied that the department is looking
at the question of hatchery releases straying into natural
systems. The department is also looking at the impact of
hatchery fish on King salmon in the open ocean. It's probably a
complex mix of variables, including temperature, the quality of
the food, and competition from marine mammals.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP commented that there are lots of hatcheries
throughout the world.
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked if a practical consideration for hatchery
fish would be to consider the carrying capacity of the biomass
in that ecosystem.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said the ocean is very large and not
enough is known to answer the question about whether hatchery
fish and wild fish are in the same part of the ocean to be
competing. The International Year of the Salmon started looking
at that question and the group that inherited that [five-year
initiative] will continue that research.
4:32:37 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked if the department had requested funding
from the legislature or other sources to make that study happen.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG replied that the department received
funds through the North Pacific Research Board and contributed
$1 million toward that effort last year. The state can't lead
that effort independently; it has to be international between
Russia, Japan, Canada, and the US. In the study last year,
Canada took the eastern Gulf, the US took the middle Gulf, and
there were plans to cooperate with Russia for the rest but US
citizens moved off those ships after the invasion of Ukraine.
4:33:36 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR commented that relative to the size of the
catastrophe, it seems that more money could be found to focus on
the issue of salmon declines. He said the questions about the
effect of bycatch and hatcheries on salmon runs was interesting,
but what changed that caused the collapse in 2008 of the Yukon
River King run and a further collapse in 2019 and 2020? For
example, did large new hatcheries open in Asia or did a new
fishing fleet start up?
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG replied there's not a single smoking
gun. The hatchery releases grew in the 1980s but there hasn't
been a significant increase globally in hatchery releases in the
last 10 years. The ocean is warming and that changes the
phytoplankton and zooplankton. Species like cod and pollock are
doing well in that environment, but crab and some salmon species
are not and the reasons aren't entirely understood. Up until
about two years ago, the department managed the fisheries by
focusing on the inriver system. When he became commissioner four
years ago he recognized the importance of the marine environment
and that's when the Marine Science Program was implemented. Now
more is understood about the near-shore environment. The
governor's budget has money to expand that science program into
the southern Bering Sea in the Kuskokwim area, the South
Peninsula, and Southeast Alaska so comparative data can be
gathered. It is much more difficult and very expensive to design
a research plan for the open ocean.
4:37:36 PM
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL noted that she recently read an article about
salmon in the Kaktovik area, which is one of the things the
legislature's Arctic Policy Commission from 10 years ago
speculated about when it discussed the warming oceans. She asked
if the article was accurate.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG answered yes; species were moving
around in the new ecosystem. He also noted that somebody from
Barrow harvested a moose last year.
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL added that she also read about reports of
people in northern Canada seeing salmon.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG relayed that the governor's budget has
money for the state to start looking at the Arctic to decide
what a responsible fishery looks like, at least in US waters.
4:39:14 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP commented on the necessity of bringing all
assets to bear to figure this out before the genetics of the
Yukon River King salmon are lost.
4:40:20 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG emphasized that these salmon species
are not providing subsistence harvest opportunities, but they
are far from going extinct. He cautioned against the idea of
listing any of these species because subsistence and directed
take would disappear but incidental catch would be allowed.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP said the committee would take him up on the
offer to discuss additional fisheries in the state.
4:42:23 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Co-Chair Bishop adjourned the Senate Resources Standing
Committee meeting at 4:42 p.m.