04/04/2024 09:00 AM House FISHERIES

       HB 297-SPORT FISHING ANGLER ACCESS ACCT/SURCHARGE                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:07:44 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE announced  that the first order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO. 297,  "An  Act  establishing the  sport  fishing                                                               
angler  access account;  establishing  the  sport fishing  angler                                                               
access surcharge; and providing for an effective date."                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:07:47 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  VANCE opened  public testimony.   After  ascertaining that                                                               
there  was  no one  who  wished  to  testify, she  closed  public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
10:09:56 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STUTES  expressed  the   opinion  that  the  fees                                                               
associated with HB 297 would be reasonable.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCABE  expressed  the   intention  to  offer  an                                                               
amendment to  add $1 to the  $4 surcharge, so an  economic impact                                                               
study could  be done.  He  argued that [an impact  study on sport                                                               
fish] has  not been done  in over 20  years, and Alaska  needs to                                                               
know what has happened since  the COVID-19 pandemic.  He stressed                                                               
that  the state  needs  the  data so  there  could  be a  logical                                                               
debate.   In response to  a question from  Representative Stutes,                                                               
he stated  that the  Alaska Department of  Fish and  Game (ADF&G)                                                               
should do  this.   He suggested  that it  would be  better coming                                                               
from  ADF&G than  an  industry  group, and  it  should be  funded                                                               
through sport fish licenses.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HIMSCHOOT posed  a  hypothetical  for a  possible                                                               
sport fish study,  and she questioned whether  increasing the fee                                                               
by $1 would be the correct mechanism.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
10:12:57 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
DOUG  VINCENT-LANG, Commissioner,  Department of  Fish and  Game,                                                               
answered  questions  on HB  297,  on  behalf  of House  Rules  by                                                               
request of the governor.  He  responded that there have been many                                                               
requests for an  updated study on sport fish, but  there has been                                                               
no funding.   He  suggested that the  funding [from  the proposed                                                               
fee increase]  would need  to be  built up over  a few  years, as                                                               
some of  the work would need  to be contracted out.   In response                                                               
to a follow  up question, he expressed the intention  to build up                                                               
the  funding  over time,  so  the  survey could  be  periodically                                                               
conducted.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
10:14:29 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE  pointed out that  the proposed legislation  does not                                                               
have a  sunset date.   She  referenced the  sunset of  a previous                                                               
hatchery  surcharge  and  questioned the  justification  for  the                                                               
proposed legislation  not having a  sunset date.   She questioned                                                               
the cost of a sport fish  license when the hatchery surcharge had                                                               
been in effect.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER VINCENT  LANG responded that the  hatchery surcharge                                                               
was created  to pay off a  bond, and it was  calculated for this.                                                               
Per  statute, once  the bond  was  paid off,  the surcharge  went                                                               
away; therefore, it was not a  sunset date.  He stated that given                                                               
the license  sells, the bond  was paid off earlier  than thought.                                                               
He  explained  that the  proposed  legislation  does not  have  a                                                               
sunset  clause  because  angler access  funding  would  still  be                                                               
needed in the future.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE reiterated  the question on the cost of  a sport fish                                                               
license when the hatchery surcharge had been in effect.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:16:01 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
JOSEPH FELKL, Legislative Liaison,  Alaska Department of Fish and                                                               
Game, answered questions  on HB 297, on behalf of  House Rules by                                                               
request  of  the  governor.    He  responded  that  the  hatchery                                                               
surcharge amount  had been an  additional $5,  so the fee  for an                                                               
annual resident  sport fish license  was $29.   In response  to a                                                               
follow-up question, he stated that the  fee is now less than what                                                               
residents had paid while there was a hatchery surcharge.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:16:33 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCABE   questioned  how  the  cost   of  fishing                                                               
licenses in Alaska compares with other states.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG  responded that Alaskan  residents "get                                                               
a fairly  good deal."   He expressed  the opinion that  the state                                                               
probably does not have the lowest cost, but it is low.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE questioned  the fact that individuals  from the Yukon                                                               
in Canada  pay the  same sport fishing  license fees  as resident                                                               
Alaskans.  She questioned this reasoning.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG responded that  this has been in effect                                                               
for  a  long  time  in  a  "friendship  effort"  with  the  Yukon                                                               
government.   He  explained  that the  reasoning  is because  the                                                               
Yukon Territory is landlocked with no access to marine waters.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE questioned if it  is known how many Canadians utilize                                                               
the license.   She  expressed the  understanding there  have been                                                               
concerns  in  Southeast  Alaska  that  the  fisheries  are  being                                                               
abused.  She questioned if  there is any up-to-date justification                                                               
for the  fees the Yukoners receive.   She pointed out  that there                                                               
is a responsibility by the legislature to put Alaskans first.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT-LANG responded  that  the  number of  these                                                               
permits could  be provided.   He estimated that there  are around                                                               
35,000 Yukoners,  but not everyone comes  to Alaska to fish.   He                                                               
approximated  that there  are around  100 permits  annually.   He                                                               
expressed  the  opinion  that these  permits  are  not  affecting                                                               
conservation,  and  he  added  that   this  is  not  allowed  for                                                               
personal-use fishing.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE  questioned whether  Alaskans receive  any reciprocal                                                               
benefits.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG  stated that negotiations on  this have                                                               
been  opened.   In response  to a  follow-up question,  he stated                                                               
that Canadians have had this benefit for around 20 years.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:21:00 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STUTES  questioned  what  is  considered  "marine                                                               
fishing."                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT LANG  responded  that  "marine fishing"  is                                                               
sport fishing that occurs in marine waters.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:21:37 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE announced that HB 297 was held over.