Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124
04/15/2024 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB195 | |
| HB251 | |
| HB329 | |
| Presentation(s): West Harrison Bay Unit Exploration and Development Update | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 195 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 329 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 251 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 349 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 195-COOK INLET: NEW ADMIN AREA;PERMIT BUYBACK
1:07:02 PM
CHAIR MCKAY announced that the first order of business would be
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 195(FSH), "An Act relating to the powers
of the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission; relating to
administrative areas for regulation of certain commercial set
net entry permits; establishing a buy-back program for certain
set net entry permits; providing for the termination of state
set net tract leases under the buy-back program; and providing
for an effective date."
1:07:21 PM
CHAIR MCKAY opened public testimony on CSHB 195(FSH).
1:08:18 PM
JEFF BEAUDOIN, representing self, testified in opposition to HB
195. He stated that he has been involved with the fisheries in
Alaska for two decades, and he has fished in the Eastside Cook
Inlet district for four years. He expressed the opinion that
the proposed legislation would violate [the Limited Entry Act of
1973]. He referenced the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission
(CFEC) optimization study on the Eastside Cook Inlet setnet
fishery, stating that the analysis in the study was flawed
because it did not consider inflation. He also argued against
the Cook Inlet management plan.
1:11:11 PM
GARY HOLLIER, representing self, testified in support of HB 195.
He shared that he is a 70-year resident of Kenai and his family
owns a large setnet operation. He expressed the opinion that
the permit buyback should be done through a lottery system,
using 300 permits at $170,000 per permit. He stated that at
this point he has invested around $1 million in his operation.
He noted that he became a setnetter in Cook Inlet in 1971 and
was granted an original CFEC permit. He shared that along with
other expenses, he spent $344,000 in 2009 on setnet sites for
his operation. He argued that a setnet operation has more costs
than just the CFEC permits. He continued that he has not been
able to fish because of the Board of Fisheries' management
policies concerning Chinook salmon. He stated that this
legislation needs to pass to help the fishermen. In response to
a question from Chair McKay, he stated that he does support the
legislation.
1:13:58 PM
RUSSEL CLARK, representing self, testified in support of HB 195.
He said that his family has had a Cook Inlet setnet operation
for around 22 years. He stated that this issue also impacts his
crew, who are mostly Alaska Natives living in remote villages.
He argued that the Eastside Cook Inlet fishery must be reduced
to between 79 and 106 permits before the Board of Fisheries
would consider policies to bring it into a viable fishery. He
noted that the board's policies are based on Chinook salmon, not
on the commercially targeted sockeye salmon. He pointed out
that there has been "tremendous" economic impact to the
communities in the area and that these communities have
supported the Kenai area for decades. He argued that now the
communities need support from the legislature.
1:16:27 PM
CODY BLOSSOM, representing self, testified in support of HB 195.
He said the current management practices of fisheries around the
Cook Inlet has been detrimental to those working in the fishery.
He argued that there should be compensation so those that want
[to pursue other economic activities can, while those that want
to stay could have a chance at making a living in the fishery].
1:17:19 PM
DOUG BLOSSOM, representing self, testified in support of HB 195.
He stated that he is a third generation Alaska setnet fishermen
in Cook Inlet. He discussed how the setnet site has supported
his family, allowing his children to pursue other careers.
1:19:08 PM
JOHN MANLEY, representing self, testified in support of HB 195.
He reminded the committee that the issue was initially a
reduction in the fleet, as removing 300 permits would revitalize
the fishery.
1:20:37 PM
KEN COLEMAN, President, Eastside Consolidation Association,
testified in support of HB 195. He stated that he has been a
setnetter for 54 years. He stated that he has been working with
the bill since inception, which has been around 10 years.
1:21:27 PM
LISA GABRIEL, representing self, testified in support of HB 195.
She said that she has been an Eastside setnetter for over 35
years. She expressed support for the lottery system that was
originally proposed by the bill, as it would ensure the core
fishery would remain for future generations. She expressed
support for allowing 300 permits to leave the fishery, as
remaining permits could still participate in a viable fishery.
1:23:11 PM
ALAN CROOKSTON, CEO, Tide Chaser Fishery, LLC, testified in
support of HB 195. He stated that this operation fishes on the
Eastside of Cook Inlet. He echoed previous testimony, adding
that setnet operations should be viewed as the "family farm."
He continued that he could have chosen many different careers,
but he bought into the setnet operation, investing hundreds of
thousands of dollars in equipment. He pointed out that none of
this equipment has any value if the permits cannot fish. He
expressed the opinion that a buyback would make the fishery
viable again.
1:24:52 PM
TANYA DONER, representing self, testified in opposition to HB
195. She shared that she has been part of the fishery since the
1960s. She expressed support for the bill in its original form
before the amendments passed in the House Special Committee on
Fisheries. She discussed the effort put into this issue over
the years, and she expressed disappointment that there had been
this change from the bill's original form.
1:26:00 PM
PAULINE MILLS, representing self, testified in support of HB
195. She shared that she has been a setnetter for 40 years on
the Eastside of Cook Inlet. She expressed the opinion that the
proposed buyout program would help both fishermen who want to
stay and those who want to leave the fishery.
1:27:25 PM
SCOTT SUMMERS, representing self, testified in support of HB
195. He shared that he is a third generation setnetter from
Kenai, where his grandparents began fishing in the late 1940s.
He stated that something must be done legislatively to keep the
setnet fishery viable, as currently, "we've got nothing."
1:28:23 PM
GARY DEIMAN, representing self, testified in support of HB 195.
He shared that he lives on his setnet site, and his family has
fished there for 50 years. He stated that this has been a
discussion for many years, expressing the opinion that it is
time for a buyback to happen, with permits valued at $260,000
each. He added that this price would make it viable for people
to leave the fishery. He pointed out that this would be the
cost of the business, not just the permit.
1:29:40 PM
BRUCE MANLEY, representing self, testified in support of HB 195.
He stated that he fishes the mouth of the Kasilof River, where
an estimated one million fish passed through last year. He
stated that prior to last year, the record escapement was
460,000. He argued that now he is being forced to dip net in
Cook Inlet.
1:30:53 PM
RANDY MEIER, representing self, testified in support of HB 195.
He shared that he has had a family operation at the mouth of the
Kasilof River for 28 years. In the operation there are five
permits, and each permit holder is in support of the proposed
legislation. He reiterated that this would help those who want
to leave the fishery and those who want to stay.
1:31:44 PM
GEORGE TOWNSEND, representing self, testified in support of HB
195. He shared that he has been a setnetter in Kasilof since
1984. He said that like other setnetters, he has made a
substantial investment into the equipment for the fishery. He
stated that the bill would be a way to take care of the
livelihood of the fishermen for the future.
1:33:14 PM
JAMES MCGRATH, representing self, testified in support of HB
195. He expressed the understanding that because of changes
made to the bill, anyone who wants to be in the lottery or
buyback would have to have registered buoy stickers for 2022.
He expressed uncertainty why this one year was chosen, as it
could be unfair to some who have participated in the fishery for
many years.
1:35:03 PM
MONICA ZAPPA, representing self, testified in support of HB 195;
however, she expressed preference for the original version of
the bill. She echoed the economic points made by previous
testifiers. She stated that this fishery has been shut down
based on the numbers of Chinook salmon in the river; however,
derbies for these fish all along the coast line still exist,
with winners making hundreds of thousands of dollars. She noted
that these are the same fish that have shut down the entire
fishery, and she argued that this is unfair.
1:37:10 PM
TED CROOKSTON, representing self, testified in support of HB
195; however, he argued against the change made in the House
Special Committee on Fisheries. He stated that the way the bill
is now written there could be the possibility of no permits
remaining. He reiterated that the value of a fishing operation
is not just the value of the permit; the permit is just a way to
regulate the fishery, but it is not the cost of fishing. He
shared that he has a 60-year history in the fishery, and those
who have been participating the longest need a voice.
1:39:37 PM
HARRY LEMAN, representing self, testified in support of the
original version of HB 195. He shared that his family setnet
site has been on the Eastside of Cook Inlet for six generations.
He stated that the recent regulations have "gutted" the
lifestyle, tradition, and identity of the local fishermen. He
expressed the opinion that the price of the permits should be
raised because of inflation. He continued that this goes deeper
than the price of the permit and the equipment, as it "goes to
the core of our being." Describing the fish camps that are
along the beach and those who have given their lives to the
fishery, he explained that there is no way to undervalue this.
1:42:57 PM
TIM DONER, representing self, expressed support for the previous
version of the bill, but not the current one. He shared that he
has fished the area for 50 years.
1:43:41 PM
CHAIR MCKAY, after ascertaining that there was no one else who
wished to testify, closed public testimony on CSHB 195(FSH).
CHAIR MCKAY announced that CSHB 195(FSH) was held over.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| CSHB 349(RES) 33-LS1325R.pdf |
HRES 4/15/2024 1:00:00 PM |
HB 349 |
| HB 349 AM 1.pdf |
HRES 4/15/2024 1:00:00 PM |
HB 349 |
| HB 349 AM2.pdf |
HRES 4/15/2024 1:00:00 PM |
HB 349 |
| HB 349 AM3.pdf |
HRES 4/15/2024 1:00:00 PM |
HB 349 |
| HB 349 AM4.pdf |
HRES 4/15/2024 1:00:00 PM |
HB 349 |
| HB 349 AM5.pdf |
HRES 4/15/2024 1:00:00 PM |
HB 349 |
| HB 349 AM6.pdf |
HRES 4/15/2024 1:00:00 PM |
HB 349 |
| HB 349 AM7.pdf |
HRES 4/15/2024 1:00:00 PM |
HB 349 |
| HB 349 AM8.pdf |
HRES 4/15/2024 1:00:00 PM |
HB 349 |
| HB 349 AM9.pdf |
HRES 4/15/2024 1:00:00 PM |
HB 349 |
| HB 349 Amendment Packet (H)RES.pdf |
HRES 4/15/2024 1:00:00 PM |
HB 349 |
| West Harrison Bay Development Presentation.pdf |
HRES 4/15/2024 1:00:00 PM |
|
| Shell Response to West Harrison Bay Unit Development Hearing Invitation.pdf |
HRES 4/15/2024 1:00:00 PM |