04/24/2002 03:38 PM Senate RES

        CSHB 462(RES)-CONFIDENTIALITY OF FISHING RECORDS                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  TORGERSON   announced  CSHB   462(RES)  to  be   up  for                                                              
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GARY  STEVENS, sponsor,  said  that  this bill  is                                                              
about  the release  of  certain  providential records  in  reports                                                              
concerning  fish, fish buying  and fish  processing. It  cleans up                                                              
several  small problems  that  have been  uncovered  over time  by                                                              
releasing a controlled amount of  confidential information, giving                                                              
the state  and federal government  very limited access  to fishing                                                              
reports. It also  lets fishermen, buyers and processors  get their                                                              
information back  or sent to a  designated third party.  Right now                                                              
fishermen  cannot get  copies of  their own fish  reports even  if                                                              
they need  them for  loan applications.  This  bill would allow  a                                                              
fisherman to have his reports sent  directly to a third party like                                                              
a bank.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STEVENS noted  another problem  occurred when  the                                                              
National Park  Service planned to  close parts of Glacier  Bay and                                                              
wanted to  compensate those affected  by the closure. He  said the                                                              
bill would  also allow  the Department  of Public  Safety to  have                                                              
access  to   salt  water  charter   log  books  and   annual  fish                                                              
statistical reports  for management  purposes only. It  would also                                                              
give  the  National  Marine  Fisheries   Service  (NMFS)  and  the                                                              
National Oceanic  and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)  access to                                                              
annual statistical reports for management purposes.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR  moved to  pass CSHB  462(RES) from committee  with                                                              
individual recommendations.  There were  no objections and  it was                                                              
so ordered.