Legislature(2011 - 2012)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/14/2012 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB197 | |
| HCR18 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 197 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HCR 18 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HCR 18-COMMERCIAL FISHERIES PROGRAMS
8:37:54 AM
CO-CHAIR THOMAS announced the consideration of HCR 18 [CSHCR
18(FSH)am was before the committee].
8:38:15 AM
TIMOTHY CLARK, Staff for Representative Bryce Edgmon, said HCR
18 was a resolution about Alaska businesses and Alaska jobs that
supports the ambitions of young Alaskan fishery entrepreneurs.
He said the commercial fishing industry is among the state's
largest employers and there is plenty of potential for more
Alaskans to take part in it at the most rewarding levels. In
recent decades, the mean age of commercial fishing entry permit
owners has increased from just more than 40 years to nearly 50
years of age. This "greying of the fleet" is happening in part
because it's gotten a lot harder for younger Alaskans to acquire
fish harvesting operations.
8:39:33 AM
MR. CLARK said these days, young people face much higher hurdles
when it comes to financing, and the cost of entry into
commercial fisheries on a diversified level sufficient to
provide a satisfactory income for a skipper and crew is often
more than $350,000. With the increase of limited entry and
rationalized fisheries in recent decades, running a successful
fishing operation requires sharp business management skills,
financial literacy, and the savvy to navigate complex state and
federal regulatory systems.
8:40:43 AM
MR. CLARK said HCR 18 calls on the legislature to become
involved with a University of Alaska undertaking to create ways
to better prepare young Alaskans for these challenges. The
University of Alaska Fisheries, Seafood and Maritime initiative
began last June when UA president, Patrick Gamble, appointed an
18 member working group (Allied Fisheries) to assess and enhance
the development and delivery of programs, courses, research and
information that meet the employment needs of the fishery,
seafood and maritime industries. The goals of this initiative
also include supporting Alaskans, particularly young Alaskans,
in discovering and preparing for the wide range of employment
opportunities in the fishing, seafood and maritime industries.
In recent months, the initiative has evolved to include the
participation of the seafood industry, community development
quota groups, and the Rasmussen Foundation, among others. It's
now time for the legislature to take part.
HCR 18 calls for the Senate President and the House Speaker each
to appoint one member from their respective bodies to act as
liaisons to the University's initiative and report to the
legislature on the initiative's progress. By the end of January
next year, these legislators will make recommendations on ways
the legislature can contribute to any action plan developed
through the initiative.
He said support for HCR 18 is about enabling more of our young
fishers to step from the deck into the wheelhouse and about
helping more Alaskans into solid, skilled careers in several of
our most important industries.
8:41:55 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked if migration of fleet ownership to outside
of Alaska is one of the big issues in young people having access
to the industry.
MR. CLARK answered that part of the migration of entry permits
does include fishermen who began as resident Alaskans and after
enjoying a certain degree of success decided to leave the state,
but still continue to fish here.
8:44:03 AM
SENATOR STEVENS commented that staying in Alaska is not a
punishment and it is a shame when the wealth leaves the state.
It is important to help Alaskans stay in the state.
MR. CLARK said the permit holders are businessmen and business
leaders in their communities and contribute to them.
8:45:31 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER, referring to back material, said it looks like
the Upper Yukon gillnet fleet is almost 60 years old and asked
the difference between gear types.
MR. CLARK answered that in some regions a certain gear type will
be more profitable and therefore the entry permit is more
expensive than another gear type. There are certain
inconsistencies, because in some regions the maritime geography
can provide an advantage to a seiner over a gill netter.
Essentially, he explained, in a drift gill net fishery, someone
will set a monofilament net from the stern of the boat, drift
with it for a period of time and distance; fish will become
entangled in it and they will real it back onto the boat picking
the fish out as they go. A seine operation is more elaborate and
requires two boats: the mother ship and a powerful skiff that
tows the other end of the seine net. Essentially you are
intercepting fish, closing the ends of the net into a purse and
then stacking it gradually on the deck until you end up with
fish.
8:48:34 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER asked if seining costs more than gill netting for
a new young person to get into.
MR. CLARK answered that Permits are valued differently in
different regions. For example, in area M, on the Alaska
Peninsula, the seine permits are valued less than the drift gill
net permits, he conjectured mainly because the features of the
region lend overall greater opportunities to drift gill net
fishers, especially on the north peninsula where there are few
capes and few geographical features reaching into the sea that a
seiner could hook off of in terms of predicting where fish would
make a turn. Whereas a drift gill net fisherman can simply hug
the beach, just nose his boat right onto the sand, drop his net
and intercept fish that are swimming in very shallow water.
8:50:11 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER asked if families pass these permits onto their
siblings.
MR. CLARK answered that a great number of permit transfers take
place family member to family member, sometimes with money being
part of the transaction. But those are only a fraction of the
transfers. He added that other situations, like the return of
certain salmon stocks in the Yukon region, can also play a part
in the ages related to permit transfers.
8:51:45 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked if this resolution really addresses the
problem of young people in Alaska becoming owners in the fishing
industry. What they really need is financial assistance if it
costs $350,000 to get in.
MR. CLARK answered that the original version of this resolution
was more ambitious and covered financing issues. The
University's initiative that has a great deal of alignment with
the education and training side of the original resolution's
goals came into being just after this resolution was introduced
last spring. The financing side of it rests more squarely with
the Alaska State government both in terms of existing programs,
most particularly the Commercial Fishing Revolving Loan Fund,
which provides loans to Alaska residents, only, for a variety of
fisheries related expenditures and improvement to those loan
programs. Because they exist in statute, they are more or less
the responsibility of the legislature.
MR. CLARK said the better the education younger fishermen using
those existing programs have the more it will help them navigate
what is available to them both from the Commercial Fishing and
Agriculture Bank and through state loan programs. The fishing
industry, unlike some other industries in the state, have a very
well-functioning naturally occurring apprenticeship program in
that almost any able bodied man or woman can pound the docks in
any sizeable port and talk their way onto a boat and be taught
how to do the work.
8:55:54 AM
FRED VILLA, Associate Vice President, Workforce Programs,
University of Alaska Fairbanks, stated support for HCR 18. He
said the two goals of the UA's initiative are to support and
enhance the economy and the communities of Alaska by developing
education and training programs that support a responsive
workforce enabling the fishing, seafood and maritime industries
to stay vibrant and be substantial contributors to the state, as
well as to support those Alaskans, particularly the young ones,
in preparing for the wide range of employment opportunities in
the fishing, seafood and maritime industries.
8:58:48 AM
MR. VILLA identified five clear areas the initiative targets for
success: one is to allow Alaskans to have access to
comprehensive training and education programs that enable them
to meet the workforce needs and take advantage of the career
opportunities. Secondly, to provide a coordinated approach among
all levels of training and education in the State of Alaska from
high schools through the university campuses and the regional
training centers including AVTEC.
9:00:23 AM
MR. VILLA said they had identified five steps to meet their
goal. On March 5 they assembled nearly 70 high stakes industry
employers and leaders to work together to establish a mutual
understanding of the benefits and value of industry and
educational partnerships to meet their business needs and goals.
They want to share a common language across different industry
sectors and within individual industry sectors as a way to
identify their highest priorities and to reach an understanding
of why an industry and occupational gap analysis is needed to
develop a workforce development plan and they wanted to identify
key groups and individuals to support the initiative. To
accomplish this whole initiative, they are considering that the
initial group of 70 and those that will participate further down
will be an advisory committee for the university and the state.
He said they are conducting a training and educational inventory
of the University and regional training centers' current
programs while concurrently developing an occupational
inventory, which would help them create a gap analysis showing
the gaps between what the industry needs and existing education
and training programs.
The gap analysis will help them develop and implement a
workforce development training plan in Alaska. They are in the
final stages of reviewing a comprehensive survey using
Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) research
and analysis data from individual employers throughout the state
on what the occupations are and what training is available for
them, so they can see where the gaps are. The survey will be on
line. Then they will ask the employers what their highest
priorities are and try to address those needs working with the
University system and regional training centers.
9:03:35 AM
JERRY MCCUNE, Lobbyist, United Fisherman of Alaska, Juneau,
supported the approach in HCR 18. He said the Allied Fisheries
is moving on the seafood employment part of it mostly, but other
things in the resolution will be helpful to young men and women
fishermen.
He related that Alaska Sea Grant put on a Young Fishermen's
Summit and six young men and women from Cordova took part in it.
They learned how to write a business plan and how to pay the
money back - all very important because it costs so much to get
into a fishery now. In Cordova, for instance, it costs $600,000
to $800,000 for a seine operation and an average of $250,000 to
$300,000 for a gill net permit. You've got to have a plan
nowadays he said.
The people who took part in this program thought it was very
useful and Mr. McCune thought it should be expanded. He
explained that two years of experience are needed in order to
get a Division of Investment or CFAB loan; the safety and
navigation classes are very useful, too. He added that set net
fisheries are almost 100 percent residents and don't have a high
turnover. That is why the people are older; they take their kids
out and teach them how to fish - especially in the Yukon. It's
not worth it for someone to go up there and fish, but it works
for the residents.
9:05:58 AM
MR. MCCUNE said he thought 76 percent to 79 percent of permits
are held by Alaskan residents. All these programs are very
important. He was impressed that most of the young folks here
had already gone to college and had a degree in order to get
into fishing. So, they have a backup plan, which is very good.
9:06:41 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER commented that it seems like a lot of people
working in the factories or processing plants come not so much
from other states, but other countries, and he wanted to know
how more of our young kids could be attracted to "work the slime
line."
9:07:17 AM
MR. MCCUNE answered that back in the 50s, all the workers were
from Alaskan communities, but the fisheries are a bigger
industry now and a bigger work force is needed. The processors
recruit in Anchorage and everywhere they can, but a lot of the
jobs are remote and long hours. So 30 percent of the workforce
is students from Russian and other places with J1 permits, which
Congress might do away with. Then we would be in big trouble.
Frankly, he said, a lot of local people don't want those jobs
anymore and that most of the young kids in Kodiak and Cordova go
fishing with their families.
9:09:15 AM
SENATOR STEVENS said it was interesting to hear that students
have gotten degrees and then decide to move into the fisheries.
More commonly, you worked for your father. It seems like the big
problem is people getting into the industry and needing some
educational help in finance, economics and how to apply for a
loan. Many of the students they are talking about at the
University will be adults who are already in the industry and
need help moving up in it.
MR. MCCUNE agreed and added that the young folks attending the
Summit told him that they really needed the classes on finances
and business. The seasons are up and down.
CO-CHAIR MEYER asked what the seasons are.
MR. MCCUNE explained that Sitka herring starts soon and then
halibut would open on April 19. The trollers fish Kings early,
but the first major red run would be May 15 in the Copper River;
most of the other runs all kick in in June. A lot of Southeast
fisheries wind up with silvers as late as mid-September. You can
fish May 15 to September 15 in Prince William Sound. In Bristol
Bay, you fish for three weeks.
9:12:36 AM
SENATOR FRENCH moved to report CSHCR 18(FSH)AM from committee
with individual recommendations and attached zero fiscal note.
CO-CHAIR MEYER announced that without objection, CSHCR 18(FSH)
am moved from the Senate Education Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB0197A.PDF |
SEDC 3/14/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 197 |
| CS SB 197.pdf |
SEDC 3/14/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 197 |
| SB 197 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SEDC 3/14/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 197 |
| SB197-EED-TLS-2-29-12.pdf |
SEDC 3/14/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 197 |
| Taking Stock.pdf |
SEDC 3/14/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 197 |
| HCR018A.PDF |
SEDC 3/14/2012 8:00:00 AM |
HCR 18 |
| HCR018B.PDF |
SEDC 3/14/2012 8:00:00 AM |
HCR 18 |
| HCR018C.PDF |
SEDC 3/14/2012 8:00:00 AM |
HCR 18 |
| HCR018-1-2-021512-FSH-N.PDF |
SEDC 3/14/2012 8:00:00 AM |
HCR 18 |
| CSSB 197.pdf |
SEDC 3/14/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 197 |