04/07/2015 05:00 PM House FISHERIES

              HB 110-PERSONAL USE FISHING PRIORITY                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
5:03:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 110, "An  Act providing priority to  personal use                                                               
fisheries when fishing restrictions  are implemented to achieve a                                                               
management goal."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
5:03:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DARRELL BREESE,  Staff, Representative Mark Neuman,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, presented HB  110, and said that  subsistence is the                                                               
highest  priority fishery  in the  State  of Alaska,  and that  a                                                               
priority  must  be adopted  for  Alaska's  resident personal  use                                                               
fishing.   The  intent is  that  the Board  of [Fisheries],  when                                                               
making decisions,  will first  consider subsistence,  and second,                                                               
consider personal  use fisheries,  and all other  fisheries after                                                               
that.   He  stressed that  personal use  and subsistence  are the                                                               
only two Alaska resident only  fisheries, and all other fisheries                                                               
allow anyone  from any location  to fish.   He stated  that these                                                               
two fisheries are  geared for people to feed  their families, and                                                               
explained that  all the  fish caught for  these purposes  must be                                                               
consumed by those  catching the fish.  Commercial  fisheries is a                                                               
vital part  of Alaska's economy  and the sponsor does  not object                                                               
to   any  commercial   fishing,  he   related,  and   sports  and                                                               
recreational  fisheries provide  great economic  benefits to  the                                                               
communities  with thriving  fisheries throughout  the state.   He                                                               
said subsistence and personal use  people are also vital parts of                                                               
the  fisheries and  recognize  the importance  they  have in  the                                                               
state as well, and for the  board to consider personal use before                                                               
making any  decisions for closures  or reduction in  catch limits                                                               
to  achieve a  management or  escapement  goal.   With regard  to                                                               
management when fish  stock and return is  not significant enough                                                               
to support  the fisheries,  he said,  the number  one goal  is to                                                               
continue to maintain a thriving  fisheries, which sometimes means                                                               
a fishery must be closed down.   Recently the fisheries have been                                                               
in a time  of abundance, and even when there  have been downturns                                                               
in some fisheries there has always  been fish in the rivers which                                                               
must  be preserved,  including crab  fisheries, clams,  and other                                                               
shellfish viable in Southeast fisheries, he said.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
5:06:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ORTIZ commented that  clearly through the years of                                                               
management of fish  and game the common thread has  been that the                                                               
State of Alaska does the best  job of managing the fisheries with                                                               
preservation and  conservation of the resources  at the forefront                                                               
of its decisions.  He opined  this is accomplished with a variety                                                               
of interest  groups interests in  mind and should the  bill pass,                                                               
it would  change the way management  is looked at as  [the board]                                                               
would have to  prioritize personal use first.   He questioned why                                                               
management should  be changed  in that fish  is considered  to be                                                               
one of the best managed resources around the world.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
5:08:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. BREESE  clarified that subsistence  is statutorily  the first                                                               
priority, and  HB 110  adds personal use  as the  second priority                                                               
when  making  management decisions.    He  said the  constitution                                                               
reads  that  resources are  available  for  the people,  and  the                                                               
intent of the bill  is to ensure that the people  of Alaska, in a                                                               
time of  a crunch and  the fishery is in  a bad shape,  can still                                                               
fish  to  feed their  families,  whether  through subsistence  or                                                               
personal use.   He pointed out that in Alaska,  the fisheries are                                                               
managed  so   well  that  fish   are  available   for  commercial                                                               
fishermen,   sports   fishermen,  recreational   fishermen,   and                                                               
personal use  fishermen.  Requiring implementation  of this bill,                                                               
should it pass, would not be  ideal but the future is unknown and                                                               
there may be a time that a  fishery must be closed to rebuild the                                                               
stock, he stated.    Therefore, he conveyed, it  may be important                                                               
to  allow  personal  use  fishing and  limit  sport  fishing  and                                                               
commercial  fishing  areas  impacting   that  salmon  stream,  or                                                               
fishery,  and  noted  that  closing   some  fisheries  could  put                                                               
pressure  on healthier  run  areas.   He  explained  that when  a                                                               
fishery  is struggling  and the  Board of  Fisheries must  make a                                                               
decision,  that its  second priority  be for  personal use.   The                                                               
commercial,  sports   and  recreational  fisheries   may  require                                                               
restricting,  but these  fisheries are  not dependent  on use  as                                                               
their sole  source to feed  their families, as  with subsistence,                                                               
he opined.  He  said the bill will provide a tool  for use at the                                                               
appropriate time.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES announced HB 110 is held in committee.