Legislature(2025 - 2026)BUTROVICH 205

03/10/2025 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
*+ SB 108 FINFISH FARMS AND PRODUCTS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
*+ SB 97 BIG GAME PERMIT PROGRAM TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
               SB 108-FINFISH FARMS AND PRODUCTS                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:12:50 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 108                                                                
"An Act relating to finfish  farms and finfish farm products; and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:13:34 PM                                                                                                                    
DOUG VINCENT-LANG,  Commissioner, Alaska  Department of  Fish and                                                               
Game (ADF&G), Juneau, Alaska, presented  SB 108, sponsored by the                                                               
Rules Committee by request of the governor.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:13:45 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG moved to and narrated slide 2:                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     History of Finfish Farming in Alaska                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     In the  late 1980s and  early 1990s, salmon  farming in                                                                    
     other parts  of the  world was done  almost exclusively                                                                    
     offshore in large net pens.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Given  Alaska's  strong  wild salmon  stocks,  concerns                                                                    
     were  raised over  farmed salmon  competing for  market                                                                    
     share with wild salmon fisheries.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     In 1990,  the Alaska Legislature preemptively  passed a                                                                    
     ban  on commercial  salmon  and  other finfish  farming                                                                    
     under AS 16.40.210.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT-LANG noted  that  this ban  was the  reason                                                               
salmon was not included in SB 108.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     [Slide  2   includes  a  photo  with   the  caption:  A                                                                    
     pioneering  Norwegian   fish  farm   in  1972/Wikimedia                                                                    
     Commons]                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:14:31 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG moved to and  narrated slide 3. He said                                                               
the  main advantage  of on-shore  aquaculture was  isolation from                                                               
wild stocks. He said Norway was  the global leader in farmed fish                                                               
technology  and  production and  that  the  industry was  growing                                                               
rapidly.  He said  there were  already many  on-shore fish  farms                                                               
under consideration,  under construction or already  producing in                                                               
the United States:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                         Present Day &                                                                                        
                         New Technology                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
      Today, technology has rapidly advanced to the point                                                                       
         where companies are now raising and harvesting                                                                         
       commercial quantities of fish in large shore-based                                                                       
                          facilities.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Fish farms moving onshore                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Land-based fish farming offers many benefits to both                                                                       
     the fish and the environment. In traditional offshore                                                                      
     farms, the fish are vulnerable to sea lice infestation                                                                     
     and infectious diseases. Modern land-based aquaculture                                                                     
     systems are able to offer local fish products in                                                                           
     landlocked countries.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Article published on Phys.org                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     The Future of Aquaculture: How Sustainable Fish                                                                          
     Farming is Transforming the Seafood Industry                                                                             
     August 26, 2024                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Article published on Global Seafoods North America                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Analytics, genetics tech chart new direction for                                                                         
     aquaculture                                                                                                              
     February 16, 2022 By Nestor Arellano                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Article published on Aquaculture North America                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:15:17 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG moved to and  narrated slide 4. He said                                                               
the  system  on the  slide  provided  continuously recircled  and                                                               
filtered  water within  the facility,  reducing  water usage  and                                                               
minimizing discharge. He said the  technology allowed for precise                                                               
control  over the  water  quality  parameters, providing  optimal                                                               
conditions for fish growth:                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                         Present Day &                                                                                        
                         New Technology                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
      Technological advancements are transforming onshore                                                                       
      fish farming into a more efficient, sustainable, and                                                                      
                        humane industry.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     [Slide 4 includes a conceptual diagram and description                                                                     
         of: Digital Twin, a breakthrough for intensive                                                                         
      aquaculture, by Davide Ciravolo - April 24, 2024 in                                                                       
                        Innovation News]                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS)                                                                                  
                                                                                                                              
     Advanced Sensor Technologies                                                                                             
                                                                                                                              
     Digital Twin Technology                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                              
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT-LANG explained  that  Digital Twin  systems                                                               
and advanced fish-monitoring  sensors enabled real-time oversight                                                               
of  fish  farms,  early  detection of  health  issues,  and  more                                                               
efficient  operations. He  said these  technologies could  create                                                               
new opportunities for Alaska.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                              
4:16:38 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG moved to and narrated slide 5:                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Overview of SB 108                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     What does the bill do?                                                                                                   
     • Authorizes onshore farming of non-salmon finfish in                                                                      
        approved land-based facilities in Alaska                                                                                
     • Limited to inland, closed-system water body enclosed                                                                     
      within a natural or artificial escape-proof barrier                                                                       
         • Allows for a wide range of possible farming                                                                          
        opportunities for different fish species such as                                                                        
        trout, char, and grayling                                                                                               
      • ADF&G Commissioner has the authority to determine                                                                       
        what finfish can and cannot be farmed in Alaska and                                                                     
        may add additional permitting restrictions for                                                                          
        certain species                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
       [Slide 5 includes a photo with the caption: Indoor                                                                       
    fish   farm   facility.   Credit:   Shutterstock/Anirut                                                                     
     Krisanakul]                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:17:19 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG moved to and narrated slide 6:                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     SB 108 Additional Safeguards                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     •  Offshore fish farming will continue to  be banned to                                                                    
        prevent any potential impacts on Alaska's wild fish                                                                     
        and fisheries                                                                                                           
     •  All fish kept at or sold from a finfish farm must be                                                                    
        triploid (sterile)                                                                                                      
     •  Fish  farming  activities  must  meet  all  existing                                                                    
        policies, including Fish Transport Permits and Fish                                                                     
        Health policies                                                                                                         
     •  Facilities and products are subject to Department of                                                                    
        Environmental    Conservation     regulations    and                                                                    
        permitting                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     [Slide 6  includes photos with the  caption: Icy Waters                                                                    
     Arctic   Charr  Fish   Farm  in   Whitehorse.  Pictures                                                                    
     courtesy of DCCED Deputy Commissioner Anna Latham]                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:18:00 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG moved to and narrated slide 7:                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Benefits of Finfish Farming                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     •  Food Security: continuation  of Alaska's  efforts to                                                                  
        enhance food security for residents.                                                                                    
     •  Fishing  Opportunity:   stocking  activities   would                                                                  
        encourage   Alaskans   to   engage   in   additional                                                                    
        recreational fishing.                                                                                                   
     •  Economic  Growth:  introduces  a   new  industry  to                                                                  
      Alaska, creating jobs and diversifying our economy.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     [Slide 7 includes a photo  with the caption: Icy Waters                                                                    
     Arctic   Charr  Fish   Farm  in   Whitehorse.  Pictures                                                                    
     courtesy of DCCED Deputy Commissioner Anna Latham]                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:18:47 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG moved to and narrated slide 8:                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Considerations                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Some Alaskans  have reservations  about farmed  fish, a                                                                  
     perspective rooted in our culture                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     •  Farmed  fish  products  are  increasing  outside  of                                                                    
        Alaska, presenting a challenge to our fisheries                                                                         
     •  The key question is whether we choose to engage this                                                                    
        development or continue to overlook these products                                                                      
        that already exist in Alaska's markets                                                                                  
     •  If we address this issue, we must do so thoughtfully                                                                    
        and safely in a manner that ensures Alaska's wild                                                                       
        stock fisheries remain viable in the marketplace                                                                        
     •  This legislation is a starting point  to begin these                                                                    
        discussions                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     [Slide 8 includes a photo  with the caption: Icy Waters                                                                    
     Arctic   Charr  Fish   Farm  in   Whitehorse.  Pictures                                                                    
     courtesy of DCCED Deputy Commissioner Anna Latham]                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:19:46 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER   VINCENT-LANG  moved   to   slide  9,   Questions?,                                                               
concluding the  presentation on SB 108.  Before taking questions,                                                               
he  emphasized that  Alaska already  practiced  forms of  aquatic                                                               
farming like  fish farming  and had the  expertise to  expand. He                                                               
said  the current  cost  to produce  hatchery  rainbow trout  was                                                               
about  $4.50  each, but  current  laws  prevented exploring  fish                                                               
farming's  feasibility.  He advocated  for  lifting  the ban  and                                                               
allowing   Alaska  to   assess   viable   species  and   methods,                                                               
participate  in  a  growing multibillion-dollar  industry,  boost                                                               
food  security, and  support the  economy  while protecting  wild                                                               
fish.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:21:02 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DUNBAR  asked to  return to slide  7. He  noted confusion                                                               
about  terminology and  said earlier  legislation  used the  term                                                               
"salmon" legally  applied to all  salmonids, including  trout and                                                               
char. He noted  that SB 108 also banned farming  of "salmon," yet                                                               
the presentation featured  an Arctic char farm  in Whitehorse. He                                                               
asked  whether  char was  considered  a  salmonid under  SB  108,                                                               
whether the  ban was  intended to  include char,  and why  a char                                                               
farm  was highlightedwhether   because  char  was biologically  a                                                               
salmonid or  simply because  char farming  was more  practical in                                                               
the Yukon Territory.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:22:56 PM                                                                                                                    
Joseph Felkl, Legislative  Liaison, Commissioner's Office, Alaska                                                               
Department  of Fish  and Game  (ADF&G), Juneau,  Alaska, answered                                                               
that salmon would  normally be included among  bony fish species.                                                               
He  emphasized that  Pink Salmon,  Chum  salmon, Sockeye  salmon,                                                               
Coho salmon, Chinook salmon or  Atlantic salmon were all excluded                                                               
by statute, [AS 16.40.230 (1)].                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:23:35 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DUNBAR  asked whether the photo  [slide 7] of a  char was                                                               
an Atlantic salmon.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG answered that it was not.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:23:43 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DUNBAR  said it was  his understanding that  char farming                                                               
was  closely related  to salmon  farming and  asked whether  char                                                               
farming would be allowed by SB 108.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:23:49 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT-LANG  said  it  would  up  to  the  [Alaska                                                               
Department of  Fish and Game  (ADF&G)] commissioner  to determine                                                               
whether char farming would be permitted.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:24:05 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  noted all  pictures were indoors.  He asked                                                               
whether  SB 108  would also  apply  to ponds,  rivers, etc.  that                                                               
don't connect to salmon bearing streams.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG  affirmed that the facility  would have                                                               
to  be  enclosed and  unavailable  to  connect to  an  anadromous                                                               
waterway.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:24:39 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT-LANG  said  it  would  be  possible  for  a                                                               
hydroponic facility  with an adjacent  pond to use the  pond [for                                                               
fish farming] as long as [the pond] was enclosed.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:24:49 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  expressed concern  and pointed  to numerous                                                               
examples of ecological  harm from invasive or  escaped species in                                                               
U.S. waters,  such as sea  lampreys and  Asian carp in  the Great                                                               
Lakes and  escaped farmed rainbow trout  from net-pen aquaculture                                                               
in  Lake  Huron competing  with  wild  trout. He  questioned  the                                                               
reliability  of  using  sterile  triploid  fish  in  aquaculture,                                                               
noting  studies  showing  that  triploids  were  not  always  100                                                               
percent sterile and that some had successfully reproduced.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:25:44 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT-LANG acknowledged  instances of  tilapia or                                                               
catfish escaping  and reproducing.  He said, as  commissioner, he                                                               
would  exercise  extreme  caution  about  allowing  [tilapia  and                                                               
catfish] in outdoor ponds in Alaska.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:26:02 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI noted  mention of  tilapia by  the governor                                                               
and  expressed concern  about reports  of  parasites and  disease                                                               
that could  potentially pose  a risk to  native species.  He also                                                               
mentioned  that  antibiotics were  used  to  treat [tilapia].  He                                                               
asked whether SB 108 addressed  the use of antibiotics for farmed                                                               
fish.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:26:34 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT-LANG said  there  was  not anything  [about                                                               
antibiotics in  SB 108.  He emphasized that  any fish  sold would                                                               
have to be  certified healthy by the  Department of Environmental                                                               
Conservation. He  recounted an example of  an aquaponics operator                                                               
in the Mat-Su  Valley who was allowed to keep  tilapia in a fully                                                               
enclosed Conex  system but was  prohibited from selling  them. He                                                               
explained  that, even  in highly  secure  indoor facilities  with                                                               
minimal escape risk, regulations restrict the sale of fish.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:27:36 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MYERS  noted the mention  of farmed fish  currently being                                                               
sold in Alaska  stores. He asked which species were  coming in to                                                               
the state to be sold and  whether an annual estimate of the value                                                               
of those sales was available.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT-LANG said  he did  not have  a list  of the                                                               
species coming in to  the state for sale but had  seen a video by                                                               
the governor  which mentioned several.  He said the  question was                                                               
whether the preference  was to continue importing  fish to Alaska                                                               
or grow them in  state. He said he did not know  the value of the                                                               
market.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:28:31 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MYERS asked  about the value of shellfish  sold in Alaska                                                               
and  what percentage  of  the  shellfish sold  in  the state  was                                                               
farmed in-state.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:28:54 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said he did  not know but would provide                                                               
the percentage and value of in-state shellfish to the committee.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:28:58 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DUNBAR argued  that while  SB  108 specifically  [banned                                                               
salmonids  from farming],  many other  fish that  resemble salmon                                                               
would still  be allowed. He suggested  that if the intent  was to                                                               
prevent farming of  salmon or salmon-like species, it  may need a                                                               
broader exception or ban like the legislation passed in 2024.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:29:49 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT-LANG observed  a quandary  - that  Alaska's                                                               
fish-growing experience was mostly  with salmon and trout through                                                               
sport-fish hatchery  programs, but  other species that  pose less                                                               
environmental risklike  catfish or  tilapiawould  likely be grown                                                               
in enclosed  hydroponic systems, where escapees  wouldn't survive                                                               
or reproduce.  However, Alaska had  little experience  with these                                                               
species,  and  it  was  unclear whether  raising  them  would  be                                                               
economically  viable.  He  emphasized  that  the  bans  prevented                                                               
testing economic feasibility. He said  SB 108 would simply create                                                               
an  opportunity  for Alaskans  to  try.  He advocated  for  safe,                                                               
contained aquaculture  and opposition  to offshore  fish farming,                                                               
and  noted  that  salmon  farming   remained  excluded  to  avoid                                                               
competition  with  wild  salmon,  while farming  trout  would  be                                                               
allowed because  Alaska already had  experience raising  them and                                                               
they were available in the market.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:31:29 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KAWASAKI  observed that there were  almost 29,000 species                                                               
in the  Osteichthyes class of  finfish. He asked how  ADF&G would                                                               
examine requests  for a particular  species in relation  to where                                                               
it would  be contained,  for example  in a lake  or in  a private                                                               
holding situation.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:32:01 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG  explained that regulators  would treat                                                               
farmed  fish  similarly to  how  they  evaluate fish  stocked  in                                                               
private  ponds under  the fish  transport  permit (FTP)  process:                                                               
they  assess   whether  fish   could  escape,   require  triploid                                                               
(sterile) fish  if there is any  risk, and block permits  if fish                                                               
show  signs of  disease. He  said species  like tilapia  wouldn't                                                               
survive  in  Alaska outdoors  and  would  need indoor  hydroponic                                                               
systems. He said  the viability of growing  such species depended                                                               
on energy, feed, and labor costs.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:32:58 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KAWASAKI  noted that  SB 108  specified that  all finfish                                                               
acquired,  purchased,   offered  to  purchase,   transferred,  or                                                               
possessed would be triploid. He asked for clarification.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT-LANG concurred  that SB  108 required  that                                                               
all species be triploid. He  said he was referring to legislation                                                               
passed in 2024  that allowed residents to keep fish  in a private                                                               
pond for  their own purposes.  He emphasized that they  would not                                                               
be  able  to  sell  those  fish but  could  have  them  for  food                                                               
security.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:33:33 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KAWASAKI  asked how regulators would  determine whether a                                                               
site  had  adequate positive  control  or  natural or  artificial                                                               
barriers to prevent fish escapes.  He raised the example of lakes                                                               
in flood  zones, noting that  species such as pike  likely spread                                                               
during  flooding.   He  asked   how  regulations   would  address                                                               
situations  where  flooding  could  connect  isolated  waters  to                                                               
rivers and allow fish to escape.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT-LANG said  escape  prevention would  likely                                                               
mirror the  containment methods used for  sewage treatment ponds:                                                               
engineered  dike systems  with  double barriers  so  that if  one                                                               
fails,  another  remains.  He  emphasized that  SB  108  was  not                                                               
intended  to threaten  wild fisheries  or  compete with  Alaska's                                                               
wild seafood  industry. He  suggested that  effective containment                                                               
designs, drawn  from water-treatment facilities and  fish farming                                                               
facilities in other countries,  would guide permitting decisions.                                                               
He  said he  expected most  new operations  to begin  as enclosed                                                               
hydroponic systems.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:34:57 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  KAWASAKI  asked  whether  the  administration  would  be                                                               
amenable to establishing sideboards  that specifically define and                                                               
address positive control.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG  said SB 108  was intended to  open the                                                               
discussion  [about  finfish  farming  in  Alaska].  He  said  the                                                               
administration would certainly welcome any insights or thoughts.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:35:19 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  KAWASAKI  noted  that  there  was  a  current  steelhead                                                               
population  in  Alaska  and  that steelhead  were  known  to  mix                                                               
interspecies with other  types of trout. He asked  how that would                                                               
be  prevented  and noted  the  value  of preserving  the  natural                                                               
steelhead population.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG  concurred. He noted that  steelhead in                                                               
Alaska  likely  escaped  from  farm  pens  in  river  systems  or                                                               
offshore, which were  not supported by SB 108.  He explained that                                                               
growing steelhead to  a catchable size in  Alaska required heated                                                               
water  and  likely  an  indoor  environment.  He  suggested  that                                                               
offshore  farming   could  significantly   reduce  costs   for  a                                                               
statewide hatchery.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:36:39 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR   CLAMAN  asked   whether   businesses   had  asked   for                                                               
legislation like SB 108 or if  ADF&G was promoting it in hopes of                                                               
attracting commercial interest.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG  responded that aside from  the case of                                                               
a man  raising tilapia  in a hydroponic  facility, which  he said                                                               
the state  had to shut down,  there had not been  anyone actively                                                               
seeking immediate approval to start  such operations. However, he                                                               
noted increasing  interest related  to food  security, especially                                                               
after  COVID-19,  and a  broader  global  trend toward  expanding                                                               
farmed  fish  production.  He   emphasized  that  aquaculture  is                                                               
growing  worldwide and  competing with  Alaska's wild  fisheries,                                                               
and the state  must decide whether to continue  prohibiting it or                                                               
open  the door  to using  Alaska's clean  water and  workforce to                                                               
participate in that market.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:38:04 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR CLAMAN  recent legislation  to allow limited  stocking of                                                               
lakes with  fish. He  asked whether  anyone had  done any  of the                                                               
stocking authorized by that legislation.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:38:25 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT-LANG said  there was  interest from  people                                                               
who want  to buy fish  for stocking, but private  nonprofit (PNP)                                                               
hatcheries hadn't  created a way  to sell  fish to them.  He said                                                               
the Kodiak  hatchery was exploring  whether producing  extra fish                                                               
for  sale could  be  economically viable,  but  currently no  PNP                                                               
hatchery has stepped forward to meet the demand.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:38:59 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MYERS noted  ban  on  farming fish  for  food. He  asked                                                               
whether someone could sell fish  as pets, for example, the person                                                               
who raised goldfish in his hydroponic system.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER   VINCENT-LANG  answered   that   the  current   ban                                                               
prohibited the sale of farmed fish.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:39:40 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES  appreciated innovative  ideas that  could improve                                                               
Alaska's  food  security.  She acknowledged  that  many  Alaskans                                                               
naturally preferred  wild fish and  were culturally  resistant to                                                               
fish farming. She shared anecdotes  about how common fish farming                                                               
was in  other states,  like Arkansas  and South  Carolina, though                                                               
she  personally  did  not  prefer farmed  fish.  She  pointed  to                                                               
Alaska's  current  challenges  with   salmon  shortages  and  the                                                               
importance of  preventing the spread  of disease  or interactions                                                               
with wild stocks if aquaculture  were allowed. She asked how fish                                                               
were  made triploid  (sterile) and  what processes  and oversight                                                               
would  ensure  they remained  sterile,  given  concerns that,  in                                                               
other states, sterility requirements weren't always achieved.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:42:15 PM                                                                                                                    
COMMISSIONER  VINCENT-LANG recalled  from  a  hatchery tour  that                                                               
sterility   was  created   by   temperature-shocking  the   eggs,                                                               
producing triploid  (sterile) fish. Afterward,  hatcheries tested                                                               
samples  to  confirm  they  were  fully  triploid.  He  said  the                                                               
sterility rate must  be 100 percent for the fish  to be released.                                                               
He  said  this  method  was   used  in  Anchorage  and  Fairbanks                                                               
hatcheries,  where nearly  all fish  stocked in  local lakes  for                                                               
recreation are triploid.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:42:53 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   GIESSEL  thanked   the  commissioner   for  the   SB  108                                                               
presentation.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:43:17 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL opened public testimony on SB 108.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:43:47 PM                                                                                                                    
JOHNNY FISHMONGER,  Executive Director, Wild Salmon  Nation, King                                                               
Salmon, Alaska,  testified in  opposition to SB  108. He  said he                                                               
had  been  fishing  in  Alaska since  1981  and  emphasized  that                                                               
Alaska's waters  remain among the  last pristine places  for wild                                                               
fish.  He warned  that multinational  aquaculture companies  were                                                               
eager  to expand  into  Alaska  and was  grateful  the state  had                                                               
prevented  offshore  finfish farming.  He  argued  that the  core                                                               
issue  was  economic:  Alaska fisheries  faced  historically  low                                                               
prices,  and  introducing more  farmed  fish  would further  harm                                                               
small,  family-run  wild fisheries.  He  noted  that when  global                                                               
farmed salmon production surpassed wild  salmon in 1993, it dealt                                                               
a major blow to Alaska's jobs, tax revenue, and fisheries.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:46:26 PM                                                                                                                    
JILL  WEITZ,  Government  Affairs  Liaison,  Central  Council  of                                                               
Tlingit  and  Haida  Indian Tribes  of  Alaska,  Juneau,  Alaska,                                                               
testified  in  opposition  to  SB108.  She  argued  that  SB  108                                                               
introduced  unnecessary  risks  to  water and  air  quality  from                                                               
waste, feed,  antibiotics, and pesticides  used in  fish farming.                                                               
She expressed concern that SB  108 could allow non-native species                                                               
to  be  farmed,  strain  already  limited  regulatory  resources,                                                               
undermine local  fishing families  and traditional ways  of life,                                                               
and open  the door to salmon  farming. She cited harms  from fish                                                               
farming  to  salmon  and ecosystems  in  Canada.  She  emphasized                                                               
Tlingit  and Haida's  commitment to  supporting sustainable  wild                                                               
fisheries with the  Alaska Department of Fish and  Game and urged                                                               
the committee to reject SB 108.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:48:53 PM                                                                                                                    
MELANIE BROWN,  representing self,  Juneau, Alaska,  testified in                                                               
opposition to  SB 108. She  said she  operated a set-net  site in                                                               
Bristol  Bay  since  1979.  She  recalled  that  finfish  farming                                                               
previously undercut  the earnings  of independent  fishermen just                                                               
as  they were  beginning to  make  a living  wage. Allowing  fish                                                               
farming in  Alaska felt insulting  to her  and she said  it would                                                               
further damage  the economics of  the fishing profession  as well                                                               
as  weaken  the  Alaska  brand of  "wild,  natural,  sustainable"                                                               
seafood  as  it was  promoted  by  the Alaska  Seafood  Marketing                                                               
Institute  (ASMI). She  noted that  Alaska lacked  the processing                                                               
capacity  to  fully process  its  wild  catch; most  Bristol  Bay                                                               
salmon  were   only  headed  and  gutted   before  being  shipped                                                               
overseas. She raised  doubts that the state  could process farmed                                                               
fish and  argued that if  processing capacity existed  for farmed                                                               
fish,  it should  instead be  used to  process Alaska's  existing                                                               
wild  stocks, improving  food security  and  supporting the  wild                                                               
fish industry.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:51:16 PM                                                                                                                    
ADAM  CUTHRIELL, representing  self, Girdwood,  Alaska, testified                                                               
in opposition to  SB 108. He said he was  a fly-fishing guide who                                                               
worked across  Alaska. He argued  that fish farming  was contrary                                                               
to Alaska's identity  and would endanger native  wild fish, which                                                               
he said were the reason  people traveled to Alaska. He emphasized                                                               
that strong Fish  & Game management and healthy  wild stocks made                                                               
Alaska fishing destinations globally  unique. He pointed out that                                                               
sport  fishing and  recreational  tourism  generated billions  of                                                               
dollars  and  supported  many  jobs   in  Alaska.  He  urged  the                                                               
committee to oppose SB 108.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:52:45 PM                                                                                                                    
SUSAN  GEORGINA  STEVENS,  representing self,  Wrangell,  Alaska,                                                               
testified in  opposition to SB 108.  She cited an article  by Jay                                                               
Bergquist  and S.  Gunnarsson on  the  environmental and  ethical                                                               
impacts  of  finfish  aquaculture.   According  to  the  article,                                                               
numerous  studies  showed  that  fish  farming  harmed  both  the                                                               
environment  and   the  farmed  fish  themselves.   The  research                                                               
identified five major areas of  negative impact: declines in wild                                                               
fish  populations, waste  and chemical  pollution, habitat  loss,                                                               
disease  transmission, and  the introduction  of exotic  species.                                                               
She  argued  that  these well-documented  harms  provided  strong                                                               
reasons for the committee to reject SB 108.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:54:50 PM                                                                                                                    
MATTHEW  JONES, representing  self, Anchorage,  Alaska, testified                                                               
in opposition to SB 108.  He said salmon farming contradicted the                                                               
values and  policies that  make Alaska unique.  He noted  that no                                                               
members of the  public testified in favor of SB  108 and stressed                                                               
that  while fish  farming may  create  some jobs,  it could  also                                                               
threaten  many existing  ones  if farmed  fish  escape or  spread                                                               
disease, especially given Alaska's  already stressed wild stocks.                                                               
He pointed  out that tourism  alone supported about  48,000 jobs,                                                               
many tied to healthy wild  fisheries. He argued that policymakers                                                               
should focus  on urgent  issues like  bycatch, which  was killing                                                               
large numbers  of salmon, rather  than pursuing fish  farming. He                                                               
urged  the committee  to consider  the severe  risks and  restore                                                               
public trust  by prioritizing the  protection of  Alaska's native                                                               
fish.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:57:11 PM                                                                                                                    
NORMAN PILLEN,  President, Seafood Producers  Cooperative, Sitka,                                                               
Alaska, testified  in opposition  to SB 108.  He said  members of                                                               
the cooperative processed all five  species of Pacific salmon and                                                               
argued  that global  fish farming  already dominated  the market,                                                               
with  farmed   salmon  making  up   over  90  percent   of  world                                                               
production. He  said large  volumes were  imported into  the U.S.                                                               
and  said  this competition  depressed  prices.  Although SB  108                                                               
excluded  salmon  farming, he  opined  that  allowing farming  of                                                               
species like  steelhead or  trout would  still compete  with wild                                                               
salmon and  eventually lead to  pressure to allow  farmed salmon.                                                               
He argued  that this  would harm  Alaska's wild  fisheries, which                                                               
the state has long supported.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:59:41 PM                                                                                                                    
JUDITH PHILLIPS, representing self,  Kodiak, Alaska, testified in                                                               
opposition  to  SB  108.   She  acknowledged  the  commissioner's                                                               
argument   that  fish   farming  was   expanding  globally,   but                                                               
maintained that SB 108 posed  serious risks to Alaska's wild fish                                                               
stocks and that fish farming  was simply too dangerous to pursue,                                                               
even with  proposed enforcement  measures. She  cautioned against                                                               
opening  the  door to  future  salmon  farming. She  thanked  the                                                               
committee  for  their careful  consideration  and  urged them  to                                                               
reject SB 108.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
5:01:15 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL held SB 108 in committee.                                                                                         

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB0097A.pdf SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 97
SB 97 Fiscal Note ADFG Support.pdf SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 97
SB 97 Fiscal Note ADFG.pdf SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 97
SB 97 Fiscal Note DNR.pdf SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 97
Explanation of Changes SB 97-SSSB253.pdf SFIN 4/25/2025 9:00:00 AM
SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 97
SB 253
SB 97 Combined Historical Documents Provided by (S)RES 2.26.25.pdf SFIN 4/25/2025 9:00:00 AM
SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 97
SB 97 Committee Sectional Anlysis.pdf SFIN 4/25/2025 9:00:00 AM
SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 97
SB 97 Comments Resident Hunters of Alaska.pdf SFIN 4/25/2025 9:00:00 AM
SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 97
SB 108 Fiscal Note ADFG.pdf SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 108
SB 108 Fiscal Note DEC.pdf SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 108
SB0108A.pdf SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 108
SB108 Sectional Analysis Version A 02.25.25.pdf SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 108
SB108 Transmittal Letter Version A 02.20.25.pdf SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 108
ADFG SB108 Overview Presentation 03.10.25.pdf SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 108
SB 97 Committee Sponsor Statement .pdf SRES 3/10/2025 3:30:00 PM
SB 97