03/30/2012 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 91                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act amending the termination date of the licensing                                                                     
     of sport fishing operators and sport fishing guides;                                                                       
     and providing for an effective date."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:06:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SHYAN  ELY, INTERN,  SENATOR LESIL  MCGUIRE, highlighted  SB
. Senate Bill 91 will  ensure the continuation of Alaska's                                                                    
sport   fish   guide   licensing  and   reporting   program.                                                                    
Legislation authorizing  the program was passed  in 2004 and                                                                    
the program has proven beneficial  to both the sport fishing                                                                    
industry and  resource managers. With more  than 1.8 million                                                                    
clients, 88  percent of whom  are nonresidents,  taking more                                                                    
than  460,000  guided  fishing  trips  in  Alaska  annually;                                                                    
guided  sport  fishing  has  become   an  integral  part  of                                                                    
Alaska's tourism  economy. In fact, a  study commissioned by                                                                    
the  Alaska  Department  of Fish  and  Game  estimated  that                                                                    
nonresident  spending on  sport fishing  was more  than $650                                                                    
million in  2007. Since the program's  inception, an average                                                                    
of  1,670 sport  fishing business  licenses and  1,981 sport                                                                    
fishing guide  licenses have been sold  annually. She stated                                                                    
that 90 percent of license  holders are Alaska residents and                                                                    
the professionalization of the  sport fishing guide industry                                                                    
has benefitted both the industry  and the resource. The data                                                                    
collected  through  the  program  provides  the  information                                                                    
state and federal managers need  to sustainably manage sport                                                                    
fish populations. The program  also allows Alaska to receive                                                                    
an exemption from the National  Saltwater Angler Registry; a                                                                    
federal   program  that   would  begin   levying  fees   for                                                                    
registration  in 2011.  Recognizing  the  importance of  the                                                                    
program,  the  Alaska  legislature  extended  the  program's                                                                    
termination date  for one  year in 2010;  SB 91  proposes to                                                                    
amend  the  program's  associated  termination  language  in                                                                    
existing statutes  in order to  allow this  valuable program                                                                    
to  continue serving  Alaskans  and  their valuable  fishery                                                                    
resources.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman  noted the one previously  published fiscal                                                                    
impact note from the Department of Fish and Game.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman MOVED  to report  CS  SB 91  (FIN) out  of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal  note. There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ORDERED.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SB  91  was REPORTED  out  of  committee  with a  "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation   and   with  the   accompanying   previously                                                                    
published fiscal note: FN2 (DFG).