02/21/1996 05:03 PM House FSH

 HB 265 - EXPORT OF DUNGENESS CRAB                                           
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN AUSTERMAN noted that the next item of business was HB 265.           
 He introduced Cheryl Sutton to present the bill.                              
                                                                               
 Number 0185                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHERYL SUTTON, Legislative Assistant to Representative Bill                   
 Williams, sponsor of the bill, explained that HB 265 had been heard           
 the previous year.  Before the committee was a substitute which she           
 felt confident would address any concern stated in the past.  She             
 briefly summarized the sponsor statement, saying HB 265 was an                
 economic development bill introduced by Representative Williams in            
 response to constituents who were developing a live crab market in            
 British Columbia.  Currently, there was a prohibition against any             
 kind of transport except by air.  This bill, in the committee                 
 substitute form, would allow dungeness crab to be exported from the           
 state both by air, as currently allowed, or by "surface                       
 transportation if the crab are taken at a time and location in the            
 state for which the Department of Environmental Conservation does             
 not require seafood processors to test dungeness crab for the                 
 presence of marine toxins."                                                   
                                                                               
 Number 0234                                                                   
                                                                               
 MS. SUTTON explained the bill pertained mostly to Southeast Alaska,           
 especially the southern regions.  She said there had been concerns            
 raised about issues of crab coming onshore.  In the Kodiak                    
 dungeness fishery, she noted, "it tests hot all the time.  This               
 would not even fit into this model at all," she said.  She referred           
 to documents provided to the legislature by the Department of                 
 Environmental Conservation (DEC) and explained that in the Bering             
 Sea, where there were no dungeness, there was a fishery for Opilio            
 Tanner crab that had been certified in winter.  There would be no             
 Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) testing for that fishery, but             
 spot-checking only.  "It really narrows down the focus," she said,            
 "and what it will allow is an opportunity for some fishermen who              
 are now doing air transport and have found that it's very costly              
 and also not very efficient."  She explained there were lots of               
 dead crab because they got "bumped" or had other problems being               
 transported by air.  To transport by vessel, all the reporting                
 requirements were in place.  All the taxes would be paid.  All the            
 catch statistics would be reported to the department.  Ms. Sutton             
 noted that Geron Bruce was present from ADF&G and Janice Adair from           
 DEC was on line to answer questions.  Ms. Sutton indicated that the           
 agencies were happy with the bill.                                            
                                                                               
 Number 0298                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN AUSTERMAN noted that it would be proper to accept the work           
 draft for CSHB 265, version F.                                                
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS moved to accept the draft.  There being no               
 objection, it was so ordered.                                                 
                                                                               
 Number 0317                                                                   
                                                                               
 SHERRI WOHLHUETER testified via teleconference from Petersburg,               
 2saying she was a dungeness fisherman.  She expressed support for             
 HB 265, saying as she understood it, it offered fishermen the                 
 ability to diversify in the transportation of dungeness crab to               
 market.  She thought it could only be an improvement.                         
                                                                               
 Number  0340                                                                  
                                                                               
 DON HASELTINE testified via teleconference from Ketchikan.  He said           
 there was a "good, solid market" in British Columbia.  He noted               
 that a third of what he got paid for crab went into air freight.              
 He said there were buyers in Prince Rupert and tenders already                
 running that direction carrying shrimp.  He thought the legislation           
 provided a good opportunity to "put some guys back to work and keep           
 the money in Alaska instead of going to out-of-state                          
 transportation."  He concluded by stating his support of the bill.            
                                                                               
 Number 0440                                                                   
                                                                               
 MS. SUTTON pointed out that there were two zero fiscal notes.                 
 While she had been unable to obtain updated ones, both ADF&G and              
 DEC had affirmed with the committee substitute that there were                
 still zero fiscal notes, she said.                                            
                                                                               
 Number 0453                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS moved that CSHB 265 be passed out of the                 
 committee, with attached fiscal notes.  There being no objection,             
 it was so ordered.