02/03/2004 01:36 PM House FIN

CS FOR SENATE BILL 56(FIN)                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     An Act relating to sport fishing license fees and                                                                          
     anadromous king salmon tag fees for residents of Yukon,                                                                    
     Canada; and providing for an effective date.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  FRED DYSON  spoke  in support  of  CSSB 56(FIN).  He                                                                   
explained that  the Yukon  Territory has amended  regulations                                                                   
to  allow Alaskans  to obtain  resident  fishing licenses  in                                                                   
Canada. Similarly,  this bill  would allow Canadians  to fish                                                                   
Alaskan  waters with resident  license  rates.  He  commented                                                                   
that  Governor Murkowski  and  Premier  Fentie have  recently                                                                   
established   a  broad   memorandum   of  understanding   and                                                                   
cooperation between Alaska and the Yukon Territory.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
PREMIER  DENNIS  FENTIE, YUKON  TERRITORY,  CANADA  expressed                                                                   
support for SB  56, stating that the goodwill  intent of this                                                                   
legislation  speaks to  the ongoing  cooperation between  the                                                                   
Yukon  Territory   and  Alaska.    He  explained   that  many                                                                   
Canadians  enjoy fishing  but have no  saltwater access.  The                                                                   
communities of Haines and Skagway  have welcomed Canadians to                                                                   
enjoy  coastal fishing  and other  activities, which  support                                                                   
their local economies.  In September 2003, the  Yukon amended                                                                   
its fishing regulations to allow  for license fee reciprocity                                                                   
for Alaskans to  fish the freshwater lakes and  rivers of the                                                                   
Yukon  at resident  rates, contingent  on similar  provisions                                                                   
being enacted for Yukoners to fish in Alaskan waters.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative Fate asked if there  would be a curtailment of                                                                   
Alaskan residents' ability to  fish in the areas of the Yukon                                                                   
that  are controlled  by guides.   Mr.  Fentie affirmed,  and                                                                   
explained that  fishing would not  be allowed in  areas where                                                                   
fishing  lodges are  located.   The Yukon  has stocked  lakes                                                                   
with char that previously had  no fish, and in certain cases,                                                                   
these  would  be  off limits  to  fishing  by  Alaskans.  The                                                                   
information  would be  readily  available when  a license  is                                                                   
purchased.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Harris  clarified that  CSSB 56(FIN) is  the version                                                                   
before the committee.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Harris MOVED to ADOPT Amendment 1, which reads:                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 1:                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
          Delete "immediately under AS 01.10.070(c)"                                                                            
                    Insert "January 1, 2005."                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     There being NO OBJECTION, Amendment 1 was ADOPTED.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
          Co-Chair  Williams explained that  the amendment  changes the                                                         
          effective  date to January 1,  2005 because the  licenses for                                                         
          2004 have already been printed.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
          Representative  Foster MOVED to  report HCS CSSB  56(FIN) out                                                         
          of   Committee  with   the  accompanying   fiscal   note  and                                                         
          individual  recommendations.   There  being NO  OBJECTION, it                                                         
          was so ordered.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
          HCS  CSSB 56(FIN) was  REPORTED out  of Committee with  a "do                                                         
          pass"  recommendation  and  with a  new  fiscal  note by  the                                                         
          Department of Fish and Game.