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.