03/26/2010 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

        SJR 27-FED. FUNDING: DOMESTIC SEAFOOD MARKETING                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:02:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOHNSON  announced that the  first order of  business is                                                               
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 27,  Urging the federal government to                                                               
provide funding  for domestic  seafood marketing  and promotional                                                               
activities.  [Before the committee was CSSJR 27(RES).]                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DENNIS EGAN,  Alaska State  Legislature, sponsor  of SJR
, explained that  this resolution urges Congress  to spend more                                                               
on  marketing domestic  seafood, including  the state  of Alaska.                                                               
Alaskans  know  where  their  seafood  comes  from  and  that  it                                                               
provides the  added benefit of  supporting the  state's fisheries                                                               
economy.   Alaska's fish are  wild and fresh  and do not  have to                                                               
travel  very  far  to  reach   the  plates  of  state  residents.                                                               
However,  nationally, that  story is  different in  that over  80                                                               
percent  of the  seafood  is  imported.   Each  year the  federal                                                               
government collects hundreds of millions  of dollars in duties on                                                               
the  imported fish  and fish  products that  aggressively compete                                                               
with  American  seafood.   Yet  seafood  producers  receive  only                                                               
insignificant   funds   for   domestic  marketing   and   product                                                               
development.    He said  SJR  27  calls  for  some of  the  taxes                                                               
collected on  imported fish to  be put toward  marketing American                                                               
seafood to  Americans.  In  Alaska, marketing investments  in the                                                               
Alaska  seafood  industry  have meant  economic  development  and                                                               
support for  an industry  that is vital  to Alaska's  economy and                                                               
future.   He  requested the  committee's support  for SJR  27 and                                                               
noted that it passed the Senate unanimously.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:05:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  NEUMAN inquired  whether it  would be  possible to  ask                                                               
that Alaska's seafood be recognized in a highlighted fashion.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR EGAN responded  that that is the whole thrust  of SJR 27,                                                               
so he would be willing to accept an amendment in this regard.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  NEUMAN pointed  out that  the title  references funding                                                               
for  domestic  seafood marketing,  so  domestic  farmed fish  and                                                               
would  fall under  that heading.    He understood  it is  Senator                                                               
Egan's intent  to highlight Alaska's  wild seafood and  that more                                                               
than half of the wild salmon consumed comes from Alaska.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR EGAN replied  the statistics he has seen show  that it is                                                               
more than  half.  However,  of the  federal funds that  go toward                                                               
marketing  seafood,  Alaska  receives   a  miniscule  amount  for                                                               
marketing Alaskan seafood  and that is the thrust of  SJR 27.  He                                                               
further noted  that it is  at the  request of the  Alaska Seafood                                                               
Marketing Institute (ASMI).                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:07:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOHNSON  opened public  testimony, then closed  it after                                                               
ascertaining that no one wished to testify.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GUTTENBERG commented  that  he  really likes  the                                                               
idea  of  using federal  marine  and  fishery import  tariffs  to                                                               
enhance Alaska's fisheries.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOHNSON agreed.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TUCK also  agreed.   He  understood that  Japan's                                                               
fish departments  are large and  its meat departments  small, the                                                               
opposite of  America.  He  said Americans would live  much better                                                               
if they ate more fish, and more Alaskan fish, so SJR 27 is good.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR NEUMAN  moved to report  CSSJR 27 out of  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being no objection, CSSJR 27 was reported from the House                                                                  
Resources Standing Committee.