03/12/1993 08:30 AM House FSH

  HJR 34:  FED FISH RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GRANTS                              
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN MOSES announced the next bill before the committee                  
  was HJR 34, which he had sponsored at the request of the                     
  Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation.                                     
                                                                               
  CHRIS MITCHELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALASKA FISHERIES                         
  DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, testified in favor of HJR 34.  He                    
  described some of the current problems in the Alaska salmon                  
  industry, including the threat of Russian salmon flooding                    
  the market.  For the last 15 years, he noted the federal                     
  Saltonstall-Kennedy grant program has provided $15 million                   
  to the seafood industry for fisheries development projects.                  
  He described how the annual grant amount has decreased, and                  
  has focused primarily on marine mammals, by-catch, and                       
  fishing technology.  Historically, according to MR.                          
  MITCHELL, the money has not been allowed to go towards                       
  development of the more traditional fisheries, including                     
  salmon, partly because they are not under the management                     
  jurisdiction of the National Marine Fisheries Service                        
  (NMFS).                                                                      
                                                                               
  MR. MITCHELL commented that many people in the salmon                        
  industry now believe such help is needed to revitalize that                  
  industry.  He described HJR 34 as a collective effort to                     
  tell the Department of Commerce and the National Marine                      
  Fisheries Service to allow the industry to decide what the                   
  development grants should be used for, and that salmon is in                 
  need of developmental activities.  He estimated the $15                      
  million in grants to Alaska has generated more than $250                     
  million in new business in the state.  Because the salmon                    
  industry is critical to the state's health and the nation's                  
  health, he urged passage of HJR 34.                                          
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN MOSES asked the committee to consider a PROPOSED                    
  AMENDMENT to HJR 34 which would change on p. 1, line 13, the                 
  word "products" to "market", being more accurate.                            
                                                                               
  VICE CHAIR OLBERG MOVED to ADOPT the AMENDMENT.  There were                  
  no objections, and the AMENDMENT was ADOPTED.                                
  HJR 34:  NO ACTION TAKEN DUE TO LACK OF QUORUM.                              
  HJR 34:  FED FISH RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GRANTS                              
                                                                               
  The committee returned to HJR 34, and now having a quorum                    
  MOVED to PASS HJR 34 as amended, out of the committee with                   
  individual recommendations.  There were no objections, and                   
  IT SO MOVED.