03/10/2009 10:15 AM House FISHERIES

HB 143-NO REPEAL OF SPORT FISH GUIDE LICENSING                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:25:41 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR EDGMON announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO.  143,  "An  Act  repealing  the  termination  of                                                               
licensing  and regulation  of sport  fishing operators  and sport                                                               
fishing guides  and licensing and  registration of  sport fishing                                                               
vessels; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
11:25:54 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to adopt HB 143, Version 26-                                                                        
LS0622\A.    With   no  objection,  Version  A   was  before  the                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
11:26:42 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHARLIE SWANTON,  Director, Division  of Sport  Fisheries, Alaska                                                               
Department  of Fish  & Game  (ADF&G), directed  attention to  the                                                               
committee packet and  the briefing document titled  "Brief for HB
:  NO  REPEAL OF SPORT FISH GUIDE  LICENSE (Reauthorization of                                                               
Sport  Fish-Guide Licensing  Legislation) March  10, 2009,"  that                                                               
indicates  the  license  fee  requirements  being  maintained  at                                                               
current  levels.    It   also  provides  background  information,                                                               
effected legislation,  and companion regulations  associated with                                                               
HB 143.   The second  page includes  the benefits and  utility of                                                               
the  data,  participation  statistics,  and  information  on  the                                                               
department's initiative to modernize to electronic reporting.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
11:28:20 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR EDGMON opened public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
11:28:45 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
RICKY  GEASE,   Executive  Director,  Kenai   River  Sportfishing                                                               
Association (KRSA),  expressed support  for HB 143,  stating that                                                               
log books are an important  component of sustainable, responsible                                                               
fisheries  management.    The   KRSA  supports  the  department's                                                               
efforts  to  convert the  gathered  data  for  use via  a  modern                                                               
analysis/reporting system.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
11:29:23 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
KEN   LARSON,  Secretary,   Prince  Wales   Sound  Charter   Boat                                                               
Association (PWSCBA),  stated opposition to HB  143, reading from                                                               
a   prepared  statement,   which   read   as  follows   [original                                                               
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     When the  Guide License fee was  first introduced, many                                                                    
     of  us, including  PWSCBA, were  lead  to believe  that                                                                    
     ADF&G  was  undergoing significant  funding  shortfalls                                                                    
     and needed our  help thru this and  other measures, and                                                                    
     it would help us  Charter Operators with their support.                                                                    
     As  always, actions  speak louder  than words  and once                                                                    
     pro-COMFish Denby  Lloyd was appointed  commissioner it                                                                    
     was obvious  we made a  mistake with our support.   And                                                                    
     Commissioner   Lloyd  obviously   still  supports   the                                                                    
     COMFish-sponsored  Sport  Fish   Guide  License  Board,                                                                    
     which we  all feel is  not required and ludicrous.   If                                                                    
     the COMFish folks were really  serious about safety and                                                                    
     professionalism  they  should  support  100%  US  Coast                                                                    
     Guard  licensing  of  100%   of  their  COMFish  vessel                                                                    
     skippers,  just like  what is  required for  all of  us                                                                    
     Charter vessel operators.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     It  appears that  the  guide license  fees  we are  now                                                                    
     forced to pay  have created and financed  an ADF&G data                                                                    
     collection   department  that   we  don't   derive  any                                                                    
     additional  benefit from.   The  ADF&G-required Logbook                                                                    
     administration  requires  more  time  from  us  charter                                                                    
     operators  that we  should be  reimbursed for  also, IF                                                                    
     ADF&G can collect a guide license fee.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     I  am speaking  for Prince  William Sound  Charter Boat                                                                    
     Assn's  28-members  and  we   request  that  the  Guide                                                                    
     License and Fee be allowed  to Sunset in 2010 or better                                                                    
     yet be eliminated now and our  2009 fee be rebated.  In                                                                    
     other words, we are  AGAINST passage of HB-143, because                                                                    
     we want the Guide License Fee to sunset.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
11:31:10 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MELVIN GROVE,  stated opposition  to HB 143,  citing the  lack of                                                               
benefit received  from providing  the log book  information, thus                                                               
far.  If  a business man's tax  is to be raised it  could be done                                                               
via other means, he opined.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR EDGMON closed public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
11:34:01 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. SWANTON commented  that the data gathered  has been presented                                                               
to   the   North   Pacific  Fishery   Management   Council,   the                                                               
International  Pacific Halibut  Commission, and  to the  Board of                                                               
Fisheries  on numerous  occasion.   He  cited other  uses of  the                                                               
data,  within  the department,  and  noted  that the  preliminary                                                               
information  from  the  log  books  is  quality  material.    The                                                               
department  is  working  do  determine the  best  means  to  move                                                               
forward in reporting and utilizing the information.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
11:36:08 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH asked how long the data has been collected.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. SWANTON  the log book  data collection  began in 1998  in the                                                               
marine fisheries, and since 2004 in the freshwater fisheries.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   BUCH   queried   if  there   have   been   other                                                               
reports/updates, or  if the pending  December report will  be the                                                               
first culmination of the data.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. SWANTON  responded that  it is not  the first  culmination of                                                               
the data.   However, it will be the first  opportunity to compare                                                               
the  two  data collection  methods  to  ascertain which  is  more                                                               
precise and comprehensive as a data set for management purposes.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:37:24 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI  referred to  the department's  brief and                                                               
the  listed benefits  that  the  bill would  provide.   He  asked                                                               
whether  the boat  owner  is  not already  bound  to comply  with                                                               
United States  Coast Guard requirements,  and how  the provisions                                                               
of this bill would increase an operator's level of safety.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. SWANTON  answered that the  reference to safety would  be for                                                               
insurance not previously required of sport fishing guides.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAWASAKI  followed  up,  asking if  there  is  an                                                               
insurance requirement under the operator's business license.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. SWANTON pointed out that the guide license requires CPR,                                                                    
first aid, and insurance; the business license may be different.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:40:06 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report HB 143, Version 26-                                                                       
LS0622\A, out  of committee  with individual  recommendations and                                                               
the  accompanying fiscal  notes.   There being  no objection,  HB
, Version A  was reported from the House  Special Committee on                                                               
Fisheries.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
11:40:31 AM