00 SENATE BILL NO. 121                                                                                                     
01 "An Act relating to temporary transfers of commercial fisheries entry permits;                                          
02 and providing for an effective date."                                                                                   
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1.  FINDINGS.  The legislature finds that                                                                  
05   (1)  current law relating to the emergency transfers of limited entry permits                                         
06 does not adequately address the concerns of commercial fishermen who are 65 years of age                                
07 or older and suffer from illness or disability;                                                                         
08   (2)  commercial fishermen 65 years of age or older who, because of illness or                                         
09 disability, can no longer participate in physically demanding commercial fisheries should not                           
10 be forced to sell their permits, but instead should be allowed to transfer them to younger                              
11 individuals and to plan for themselves an orderly transition from active commercial fishing                             
12 to retirement;                                                                                                          
13   (3)  commercial fishermen 65 years of age or older, who suffer from illness or                                        
14 disability, should be allowed to participate in the fisheries in a less strenuous manner, thereby                       
01 imparting the knowledge gained from many years of experience to younger fishermen;                                      
02   (4)  65 years of age is the established age of retirement in our society and the                                      
03 qualifying age for a large number of programs for senior citizens;                                                      
04   (5)  allowing limited entry permit holders who are 65 years of age or older to                                        
05 transfer a permit from year-to-year will enable many young Alaskans with low incomes to                                 
06 participate in commercial fishing as gear operators and give them the opportunity to acquire                            
07 the capital necessary to purchase their own limited entry permits;                                                      
08   (6)  allowing all limited entry permit holders to transfer a permit from year-to-year would result in speculation in  
09 fisheries entry permits by individuals who purchase permits                                                             
10 with the intention of living off the income generated by other individuals who actually operate                         
11 the permits; such a practice would be disruptive to the commercial fishing industry and should                          
12 not be allowed;                                                                                                         
13   (7)  commercial fishermen who have participated as an entry permit holder in                                          
14 commercial fisheries for 10 years or more are bona fide commercial fishermen who have                                   
15 invested considerable time and money in the commercial fishing industry and who have                                    
16 demonstrated their commitment to commercial fishing as a livelihood and a profession.                                   
17    * Sec. 2.  AS 16.43.180 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:                                               
18  (c)  The commission shall adopt regulations providing for the temporary                                               
19 transfer from year-to-year of an entry permit if the permit holder is at least 65 years                                 
20 of age, has held an entry permit for at least 10 years, and is unable to participate in                                 
21 the fishery due to illness or disability.                                                                               
22    * Sec. 3.  This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).