Legislature(1995 - 1996)
04/19/1995 08:10 AM House RES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HB 256 - FREE SPORT FISHING DAYS Number 262 BRUCE CAMPBELL, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO REPRESENTATIVE PETE KELLY, PRIME SPONSOR, said HB 256 allows the commissioner of ADF&G to select one or two days on which an individual can go fishing without being required to have a fishing license or tag. He stated HB 256 means that someone could, in conjunction with Fishing Is Fun Days or other promotional activities for fishing, take the kids along and the adult would not have to have a license. This would provide the opportunity to determine if the kids enjoy fishing. He noted HB 256 is supported by a number of sport fishing groups around the state. He urged the committee's support for HB 256. REPRESENTATIVE PETE KOTT felt there should be a substantial fiscal note attached because revenue will be lost. He noted there is a zero fiscal note attached. Number 299 JOHN BURKE, ACTING DIRECTOR, SPORT FISH DIVISION, ADF&G, said the department supports HB 256. He stated free fishing days offer people, who do not ordinarily fish, the opportunity to experience fishing without having to buy a license. He noted a free fishing day, in conjunction with National Fishing Week activities or winter fishing carnivals, can bring people into recreational fishing. He explained free fishing days are used as a centerpiece for the department's aquatic education activities, which the department sponsors in schools. MR. BURKE stressed education depends a lot on motivation. Fishing for many children in Alaska is a tremendous motivator. He felt any type of educational activity built around something kids like, they do well at. He said the department uses fishing as a motivator to teach people conservation, angling ethics, and sometimes spin-off activities such as sciences and math. MR. BURKE said there may be some initial loss of license or king salmon stamp sales but ultimately sales will be on the plus side. Over the long term, there will be more recreation fishers and at that point, there will be more license sales. He stated the only possible negative aspect of HB 256 is if the free fishing day(s) turned into a king salmon derby during the height of king salmon season where people would not fish any other day except for the one free day. He felt that would not happen. MR. BURKE showed an aquatic education handbook developed by the department which gets distributed in schools. He said the department also runs a pathways to fishing clinic often at the same time. Mentors are distributed around stations and people pass through the stations with about ten minutes per station. People are taught how to fish, how to tie knots, shown where the fish may be, etc. He showed the committee several textbooks used in the school systems. He also described several educational tools used. He showed several pictures of family fishing days which are presently held throughout the state. Number 392 REPRESENTATIVE KOTT recalled Mr. Burke mentioned that having free fishing days would bring families together and provide an outing at no cost. He thought children do not currently pay for licenses. MR. BURKE said that is correct. Children get a free license. REPRESENTATIVE KOTT felt one of the problems with having a free fishing day for parents who do not ordinarily fish is that those people may not be familiar with regulations or habitat and could do more damage than good. He asked when the department is proposing to provide these days of free fishing. MR. BURKE replied National Fishing Week occurs every year and large celebrations are held throughout the state. He said the free fishing day(s) would occur during National Fishing Week as a centerpiece for those activities. He stated the activities are largely for children but the department has found through the pathways to fishing program, many people going through the program have never fished before. REPRESENTATIVE KOTT said his question is when specifically would the department plan to provide the free fishing days. He asked would the days be together or would there be two separate days. MR. BURKE replied the free fishing days would be at the discretion of the commissioner. He said National Fishing Week is in June. He was not sure about the time for a winter free fishing day. He felt the department would probably try to promote some unified day enabling people to become acquainted with winter fishing. He stressed HB 256 does not mandate any free fishing days. REPRESENTATIVE KOTT asked if there were other states who have similar free fishing days. MR. BURKE replied 44 states have free fishing days in conjunction with National Fishing Week activities. REPRESENTATIVE KOTT questioned why the state would want to provide the opportunity of free fishing days to nonresidents. MR. BURKE stated it would be impossible to enforce resident versus nonresident. Number 455 REPRESENTATIVE KOTT said in his fishing experience, he would guess that 60 percent of the fishers are nonresidents and they usually are the people violating some provision of law regarding fish and game. MR. BURKE stated it would be highly unlikely a nonresident, who came to the state to fish, would fish on one day only. He felt one free fishing day probably would not preclude nonresidents from buying a license. He reiterated if there is abuse, HB 256 does not mandate a free fishing day. REPRESENTATIVE KOTT felt it would be very difficult to determine if abuse was ongoing. REPRESENTATIVE NICHOLIA asked what the impacts of free fishing days would have on the Kenai River and the Copper River. She noted the declining runs of king salmon on the Yukon River and the Tanana River. She wondered if streams having low returns would be off limits during the free fishing days. MR. BURKE replied the streams with low returns would not be off limits. He said he did not know what the impact of free fishing days would be on the Kenai River. He stated free fishing days would take place at best during the king salmon fishery, not during the sockeye salmon fishery. He noted the king salmon fishery is fairly well controlled, as in order to do it, a person has to have a lot invested. He did not feel free fishing days would bring any more people than the number there now, because people fishing on the Kenai River now already have the gear required. He pointed out in regard to the Yukon and Copper Rivers, those places are fairly difficult to get to and he did not feel large groups of people would go for one specific day of fishing. He did not think free fishing days would affect those areas. Number 510 REPRESENTATIVE NICHOLIA noted people are very concerned about erosion on the banks of the Kenai River. She asked if HB 256 would have an impact on that problem. MR. BURKE replied no. He said the king salmon fishery takes place almost totally from boats. The erosion on the banks is primarily concerned with the intensive sockeye fishery occurring later in the season than when the free fishing day would occur. He stressed it is a matter of timing. REPRESENTATIVE OGAN asked what the date is for National Fishing Week. MR. BURKE replied June 6-12. REPRESENTATIVE OGAN expressed concern about the free fishing days because in his area there is a big problem with king salmon. He said the fishery is heavily fished by road access. He wondered if the department is projecting a lot of fish being caught during the free fishing days. MR. BURKE stated someone who is clearly a king salmon fisherman would be fishing anyway and have a tag. He said if the free fishing day ended up being a derby day, the department would either have to change the date and make the day earlier, or perhaps not have the free fishing day at all. He pointed out he does not know any king salmon fishermen who want to go fishing just once a year but perhaps they might take their family on the free fishing day. Number 550 CO-CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS noted there was no quorum present. He said the state has a sport fishery which is very well advertised and there are many problems with that fishery now. MR. CAMPBELL stated the sponsor's goal is not to increase problems but rather provide a mechanism for educating people about the problems.
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