00HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 67                                                                                           
01 Relating to transit fees imposed on United States fishing vessels by Canada.                                            
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03  WHEREAS in 1994, Canada imposed a transit fee of $1,100 on United States fishing                                       
04 vessels crossing Canadian territorial waters; and                                                                       
05  WHEREAS in 1996, Canada has refused to engage in good faith negotiations                                               
06 regarding the Pacific Salmon Treaty; and                                                                                
07  WHEREAS Canada is threatening to impose a much greater transit fee on United                                           
08 States fishing vessels during 1996; and                                                                                 
09  WHEREAS the imposition of a transit fee by Canada would force some United States                                       
10 fishing vessels to travel between the west coast of the United States and Alaska via the                                
11 unprotected outside waters off the western coast of Canada and thus would imperil the safety                            
12 of United States citizens; and                                                                                          
13  WHEREAS the United States has not contemplated the imposition of a similar transit                                     
14 fee on Canadian fishing vessels in United States territorial waters in the northern boundary                            

01 area, in the transboundary rivers such as the Taku River and the Stikine River, or coast wide;                          
02  BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature opposes the imposition of transit                                     
03 fees by Canada on United States fishing vessels transiting Canadian territorial waters; and be                          
04 it                                                                                                                      
05  FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests                                               
06 President Clinton and the Congress to impose a similar transit fee on Canadian fishing vessels                          
07 transiting United States territorial waters if Canada imposes a transit fee on United States                            
08 fishing vessels during 1996.                                                                                            
09  COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Bill Clinton, President of the                                
10 United States; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S.                                 
11 Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska                                       
12 delegation in Congress.