05/18/2021 10:00 AM House FISHERIES

                    HB 52-TUTKA BAY HATCHERY                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
10:05:41 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR TARR  announced that  the only order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 52, "An Act  providing that operation of the Tutka                                                               
Bay  Lagoon  Hatchery in  Kachemak  Bay  is compatible  with  the                                                               
functions  of  Kachemak Bay  State  Park;  and providing  for  an                                                               
effective date." [Before the committee  was CS for HB 52, Version                                                               
32-LS0327\I, Bullard,  4/29/21, adopted during the  House Special                                                               
Committee on Fisheries meeting on 4/29/21.]                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:06:23 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE noted additional  documents in the committee                                                               
packet, including a contract agreement  with the Tutka Bay Lagoon                                                               
Hatchery and more letters of support.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
10:07:04 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY  recalled  there had  been  concerns  about                                                               
maintenance, upkeep,  and disposal,  and she asked  for assurance                                                               
that upkeep and maintenance is happening.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:07:25 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE deferred to Sam Rabung.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:07:40 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SAM  RABUNG,  Director,  Commercial  Fisheries  Division,  Alaska                                                               
Department  of Fish  & Game,  advised that  as with  all private,                                                               
nonprofit  hatchery permitted  operations in  Alaska, the  Alaska                                                               
Department  of   Fish  &  Game   (ADF&G)  has   requirements  and                                                               
guidelines spelled  out in  statutes, regulations,  and policies.                                                               
Periodically,  the department  evaluates the  operations of  each                                                               
hatchery, which  is required to turn  in a report annually.   The                                                               
report  details  the  hatchery's  operations;  any  anomalies  or                                                               
events  must   be  submitted  through   incident  reports.     He                                                               
concluded, "We  have had  no issues with  the operation  of Tutka                                                               
Bay Lagoon Hatchery."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
10:08:46 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   STORY  offered   her   understanding  that   the                                                               
committee  had  heard  testimony   that  there  have  been  "some                                                               
incidences of not having the upkeep  as planned."  She said it is                                                               
curious that ADF&G does not have that on record.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
10:09:04 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. RABUNG said he thinks it is  a matter of perception.  He said                                                               
during  the three-week  period when  salmon come  back to  spawn,                                                               
there are always  some dead fish around; it is  the natural cycle                                                               
of the salmon.   He said those who have  been around large salmon                                                               
hatchery programs "see  nothing of an issue  there," while others                                                               
are sometimes alarmed.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
10:10:14 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  TARR  noted there  are  two  components  of  HB 52.    The                                                               
hatchery component is the purview  of the House Special Committee                                                               
on Fisheries,  while the  land swap component  is the  purview of                                                               
the  House Resources  Standing Committee.   She  noted that  some                                                               
[testifiers]  had suggested  there  was  overproduction or  "more                                                               
fish  dying off,"  and  she  asked Mr.  Rabung  for his  feedback                                                               
regarding the idea of adjusting the production levels.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
10:11:27 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. RABUNG  responded that the  hatchery has been at  its current                                                               
permit capacity since 1992, contrary to  what some would say.  He                                                               
referred to  a published document  available on ADF&G's  web site                                                               
that provides  the history and  chronology of all  the operations                                                               
at  Tutka  Bay  Lagoon  Hatchery  through  2012.    He  said  the                                                               
department has noticed that because  of "warmer years," the water                                                               
at low  tide tends to  get warm,  which is potentially  lethal to                                                               
salmon.   The warmer the water  is, the less oxygen  it holds, he                                                               
explained; a lot  of fish in the  water on a warm day  use up the                                                               
available  oxygen.   He  said that  is the  one  issue with  that                                                               
hatchery  that ADF&G  struggles with,  and it  has been  that way                                                               
since the hatchery's inception in the 1970s.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:13:04 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  TARR observed  that in  general,  "there are  sort of  new                                                               
feelings, it  seems, around that."   She expressed her  hope that                                                               
the  topic could  be  addressed  another time.    That said,  she                                                               
expressed  that  her questions  had  been  answered, and  she  is                                                               
comfortable with the operation of the hatchery.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
10:14:28 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE stated her intent  to spend time this summer                                                               
reaching out  to communities that  would be affected by  the land                                                               
swap proposed under HB 52.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
10:15:13 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR TARR entertained a motion.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
10:15:25 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STUTES  moved  to  report CSHB  52,  Version  32-                                                               
LS0327\I,  Bullard, 4/29/21,  out  of  committee with  individual                                                               
recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal notes.   There being                                                               
no objection, CSHB 52(FSH) was  reported out of the House Special                                                               
Committee on Fisheries.