Legislature(2023 - 2024)GRUENBERG 120
04/23/2024 10:00 AM House FISHERIES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HR8 | |
| SCR10 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SCR 10 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HR 8 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HR 8-FISHERIES BYCATCH REGULATIONS
10:04:46 AM
CHAIR VANCE announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 8, Encouraging the Department of Fish and
Game to adopt certain regulations relating to fisheries bycatch.
10:05:06 AM
JAKE ALMEIDA, Staff, Representative Sarah Vance, Alaska State
Legislature, introduced HB 8, on behalf of the prime sponsor,
Representative Vance. He paraphrased from the sponsor statement
[copy included in the committee packet], which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
House Resolution 8 encourages the Department of Fish
and Game, through the department's regulatory
authority and through the commissioner's seat on the
North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) to
support actions and regulatory changes on both the
state and federal levels to reduce bycatch.
Alaska's rich marine resources support thriving
fisheries managed by the NPFMC under the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
However, alongside the targeted harvest of seafood,
these fisheries inevitably result in bycatch fish
caught incidentally and often discarded due to
regulatory constraints or unsuitability for commercial
use.
Bycatch poses significant challenges to the health and
sustainability of marine ecosystems, as well as to the
economic viability of fishing operations and
ultimately Alaskans' way of life. Current regulations
allow for the annual discard of tens of millions of
pounds of fish in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska
waters, representing a substantial loss of potential
food resources and economic value. Moreover, this
resolution acknowledges the recommendations of the
Alaska Bycatch Review Task Force (ABRT) and the
Bycatch Advisory Council which emphasized the
importance of incremental regulatory changes to
improve bycatch reduction, particularly for species
caught with non-targeted gear or discarded due to
regulatory requirements.
In essence, HR 8 represents a proactive step towards
more sustainable fishing practices in Alaska's federal
fisheries by emphasizing the need to reduce bycatch.
It underscores the importance of balancing economic
interests with environmental conservation to achieve a
more resilient and prosperous future for Alaska's
fisheries and way of life.
10:07:37 AM
MR. ALMEIDA stated that the draft of the proposed resolution
before the committee focuses on the utilization of bycatch;
however, in reaction to public comment, the sponsor has changed
the focus to reducing bycatch. He pointed out the decline in
the state's fisheries resource and that Alaskans need solutions.
He pointed out this could be done by utilizing bycatch or by
furthering regulatory restraints, but he argued that all bycatch
is wanton waste and needs to be reduced as soon as possible. He
stated that the Bycatch Advisory Council held a meeting last
week and adopted findings based on the utilization of bycatch.
He stated that Brian Gabriel would speak to these findings.
10:10:33 AM
BRIAN GABRIEL, Mayor, City of Kenai, gave invited testimony on
HB 8. He stated that he held a seat on the Alaska Bycatch
Review Task Force, which finished its work in November 2022. He
explained that in March 2023, the Alaska Bycatch Advisory
Council was created with the purpose to advise the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) on ways to implement the
recommendations from the final report of the task force. He
stated that a Bycatch Utilization Subcommittee was created to
report on this issue. He stated that he served as the chair of
the subcommittee.
MR. GABRIEL addressed the recommendations from the report,
titled "Bycatch Utilization Subcommittee Report to Bycatch
Advisory Council," [copy included in the committee packet]. He
stated that the purpose of the subcommittee was to identify
issues that would need to be addressed when considering
utilization of bycatch. He defined "bycatch" as fish that are
harvested in a fishery but are not sold or kept. He stated that
the subcommittee had met four times, taking public testimony
each time. He discussed the presentations given to the
subcommittee, of which SeaShare's model was the most relevant
for bycatch utilization. He explained that SeaShare is a
federally permitted, prohibited species donation program.
MR. GABRIEL stated that the subcommittee's focus was on paring
down the information, as bycatch is present in every fishery.
He stated that the focus was on the high value bycatch, such as
salmon, halibut, and crab, and the subcommittee chose halibut
bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska as its starting point.
MR. GABRIEL, in paring down the topic, stated that the
subcommittee chose the following categories as a focus:
regulatory, economic, logistical, and political. He stated that
the report did not produce a "revelation;" rather it created a
roadmap of areas that need to be addressed in utilizing bycatch.
MR. GABRIEL stated that because the fisheries are both federally
and state managed, regulatory change would need to be addressed,
which would include the International Pacific Halibut
Commission. He moved to the issue of economic factors, stating
that there would need to be a plan on how the proceeds would be
utilized and how bycatch would be marketed, which would involve
processors.
10:17:26 AM
MR. GABRIEL warned that on the regulatory side, bycatch
retention could cause a higher mortality rate to endangered
species. On the economic side, he discussed how retention would
affect processors who are only set up for processing targeted
species, as the retention of bycatch could cause processing
concerns. He noted that retaining undersized fish could create
a negative market effect for that species. He pointed out that
per the regulation side, subsidies may need to be implemented to
facilitate utilization.
MR. GABRIEL, per the harvest side, discussed the gear, deck
space, and storage space issues for fishermen on the grounds.
He reiterated that small fish could negatively affect marketing,
as this would be seen as poor quality. He noted the struggle
the seafood market is currently having, and he offered the
advice that utilization requirements could be an issue.
MR. GABRIEL, per the logistical side, discussed the
transportation challenges, noting that SeaShare is heavily
subsidized. On the political side, he offered the advice that
there could be public resistance to requirements of retention
and utilization before further reduction measures are
implemented. He also noted that there could be concerns about
incentivizing or institutionalizing bycatch. He stated that
this theme was heard during the public comment period. Another
common point made during the public comment period was that
bycatch should be minimized before any program on utilization
moves forward. He observed that because all fisheries have
bycatch, there could be different strategies for each fishery.
MR. GABRIEL discussed the conclusion of the report, which
included that a mandatory rather than a voluntary program would
need to have a full economic analysis. The analysis would
address the issues discussed, along with other issues which
might be identified. He stated that there was no final
recommendation, as the discussion is very complicated,
particularly when noting all the species that pertain to bycatch
and how each one would need to be dealt with differently.
10:23:48 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT expressed excitement about the advisory
council. She questioned whether the subcommittee was able to
investigate international strategies for bycatch.
MR. GABRIEL stated that there had been some discussion on
Iceland, but no specific reports were provided.
CHAIR VANCE noted that the 2022 Alaska Bycatch Review Task
Force's report is in the committee packet. She commented that
the report is robust and expressed appreciation for the original
intent of reducing wanton waste. She questioned whether the
complicated nature of bycatch was the main take away for the
subcommittee.
MR. GABRIEL responded that this was the main takeaway, as there
are many moving parts. He offered the advice that throughout
the entire process, every element would need to be considered.
10:26:10 AM
CHAIR VANCE referenced his participation on the task force and
questioned some of the other considerations by the council.
MR. GABRIEL recommended referencing the website, as it would
take time to review it all now. He pointed out that the website
lists recommendations and categories, showing the progress on
each recommendation. He noted that the recommendations are
easily understandable. He expressed gratitude that the task
force's recommendations did not "just go on a shelf."
CHAIR VANCE reiterated that the report is robust, and the
advisory council is looking at implementation of the
recommendations.
10:28:42 AM
CHAIR VANCE sought to give full transparency on the intention of
the proposed legislation. She discussed the desire to make fish
waste beneficial to Alaskans; however, she stated that this
would be complicated to do. She expressed the intention to
remove the utilization parts of the resolution. She requested
that members provide amendments that would encourage the
commissioner of ADF&G to implement regulations on the avoidance
and reduction of bycatch. She encouraged interaction with
stakeholders and expressed the importance of every voice being
heard.
10:30:40 AM
CHAIR VANCE announced that HR 8 was held over.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HR 8 - Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HFSH 4/23/2024 10:00:00 AM |
HR 8 |
| HR 8 - v.A.pdf |
HFSH 4/23/2024 10:00:00 AM |
HR 8 |
| HR 8 - Supporting Document - Bycatch Utilization Subcommittee Report (04-16-24).pdf |
HFSH 4/23/2024 10:00:00 AM |
HR 8 |
| CSSCR 10 - Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HFSH 4/23/2024 10:00:00 AM |
SSCR10 |
| CSSCR 10 - version S.A.pdf |
HFSH 4/23/2024 10:00:00 AM |
SSCR10 |
| CSSCR10 - Summary of Changes S to S.A - 4.22.24.pdf |
HFSH 4/23/2024 10:00:00 AM |
SSCR10 |
| CSSCR 10 - Support Letter PSPA 3.25.24.pdf |
HFSH 4/23/2024 10:00:00 AM |
SSCR10 |
| CSSCR 10 - Fiscal Note LAA 4.19.24.pdf |
HFSH 4/23/2024 10:00:00 AM |
SSCR10 |