02/03/1995 03:45 PM Senate RES

 SRES 2/3/95                                                                   
         SB  41 REPORTS BY OUT OF STATE FISHING VESSELS                       
  SENATOR LEMAN announced SB 41 to be up for consideration.                   
                                                                               
 TERRY OTNESS, Legislative Aide to Senator Taylor, said he would               
 answer questions on SB 41.  He said this legislation would require            
 foreign fishing vessels transiting or lying in state waters to                
 report their catch by species, quantity, and area where harvested.            
 The Ketchikan Trollers Committee requested this legislation in                
 response to the rapid expansion of the fisheries off the Capes and            
 it is hoped with increased data from the foreign fleet that there             
 will be better in-season management data.                                     
                                                                               
 SENATOR PEARCE said she once tried to say that foreign tankers had            
 to provide the state information about their cargo and was told by            
 our Department of Law and the Coast Guard that the State of Alaska            
 has no right to require foreign ships to do anything in our waters,           
 but the Coast Guard can.  She asked if he had considered that.                
                                                                               
 MR. OTNESS said he hadn't talked to the federal government, but our           
 Department of Law thought this was permissible, because we have a             
 legitimate interest in the management and are not interfering with            
 commerce.                                                                     
                                                                               
 SENATOR PEARCE noted that her problem was not with commerce, but              
 with maritime law which is a separate body of law.                            
                                                                               
 SENATOR PEARCE moved to discharge SB 41 from Committee with                   
 individual recommendations.  There were no objections and it was so           
 ordered.