02/12/1998 01:20 PM House RES

HB 310 - UTILIZATION OF GROUNDFISH                                             
                                                                               
CO-CHAIRMAN HUDSON announced the next order of business was House              
Bill No. 310, "An Act relating to the utilization of groundfish;               
and providing for an effective date."                                          
                                                                               
Number 1203                                                                    
                                                                               
AMY DAUGHERTY, Legislative Administrative Assistant to                         
Representative Alan Austerman, Alaska State Legislature, explained             
HB 310 would extend to other groundfish species the current ban in             
state law regarding the waste of pollock.  It would enable the                 
Board of Fisheries to require processors to meet minimal standards             
for the utilization of other groundfish in addition to pollock,                
similar to regulations adopted by the secretary of commerce for                
offshore processors.  The legislation is necessary because current             
state law only prohibits the waste of pollock, not other groundfish            
species such as, Pacific cod, rock sole and yellowfin sole.                    
Pacific cod is already affected by federal law, and rock and                   
yellowfin sole will go into effect in 2003.                                    
                                                                               
MS. DAUGHERTY explained in the bill packet for the committee                   
members is an excerpt from the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery                        
Conservation and Management Act that talks about bycatch reduction.            
It is included to point out that bycatch reduction is a step-by-               
step process that will be revisited every year for the next four               
years.  Information from the "Federal Register" is also included               
that talks about the improved retention/improved utilization                   
program and how it has been addressed by the North Pacific Fishery             
Management Council.                                                            
                                                                               
MS. DAUGHERTY stated, essentially, the catcher boat operators,                 
required by federal regulations to retain pollock and cod, need the            
processors to fall under regulations to require them to take those             
products as well.                                                              
                                                                               
Number 1339                                                                    
                                                                               
RICK LAUBER, Representative, North Pacific Fishery Management                  
Council; Alaska Manager/Vice President, Pacific Seafood Processors             
Association, explained the state of Alaska has had a retention                 
program for pollock for many years.  House Bill 310 is an offshoot             
of the roe-stripping ban on salmon and other products in Alaska.               
Alaska has a philosophy of banning wanton waste and the bill is a              
continuation of that philosophy.  The council has been attempting              
for a number of years to get the offshore factory trawler fleets to            
improve their utilization and retention of their waste.  An                    
amendment was passed and approved by the United States Secretary of            
Commerce that went into effect this year that requires them to                 
retain their pollock and cod.  In the year 2003 other species will             
come to play.  This has not been the situation in Alaska for                   
onshore processors because they fully utilize all species.  Thus,              
to level the playing field, the council and the state of Alaska                
have agreed to bring forth this type of statute.  The idea is, as              
it moves along, the Board of Fisheries will pass appropriate                   
regulations requiring fishermen and processors operating inside of             
three miles to comply with the same rules that apply offshore.                 
                                                                               
Number 1481                                                                    
                                                                               
GERON BRUCE, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Commissioner,                  
Department of Fish and Game, stated the department supports the                
bill.  The department went through a process of working with the               
industry and other interested parties in developing the approach               
taken by the state.  The need for the bill is because the current              
pollock statute does not extend the authority to the Board of                  
Fisheries to deal with Pacific cod and the other species scheduled             
to come on line in the year 2003.                                              
                                                                               
Number 1526                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN stated there must be a significant amount of              
waste now to specify groundfish.  He wondered whether dropping the             
ground on this would be an act to prevent the waste of fish in                 
general.                                                                       
                                                                               
Number 1564                                                                    
                                                                               
MR. BRUCE stated waste needs to be approached on a species-by-                 
species basis.  There is no known use for the arrowtooth flounder,             
for example.  If the bill was drafted as broadly as Representative             
Green suggested, fishermen and processors would be required to                 
retain a species for which there is no commercial or other use for             
it at this time.                                                               
                                                                               
Number 1599                                                                    
                                                                               
MR. LAUBER stated, currently, Alaska has a roe-stripping ban, with             
some exceptions to allow for flexibility.  There is  a bill that               
would terminate the flexibility, however.  But, by-and-large,                  
Alaska has a pretty good record.  House Bill 310 calls for state               
law to conform with federal regulations.  It would not change                  
anything that is currently taking place in Alaska.  He cited                   
pollock, cod, and other species are being fully utilized by shore-             
based plants.  There is no discard in the onshore component.  There            
was discard in the offshore component, but it is beyond the                    
jurisdiction of Alaska which is why it is handled through the                  
federal government.  There will be full retention of pollock and               
cod in the year 2003.  Right now, whether the bill passes or not,              
there will be no discard of species of any significant amount in               
Alaska.                                                                        
                                                                               
Number 1690                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN referred to bycatch and wondered whether there            
is something in the mill dealing with it.                                      
                                                                               
MS. DAUGHERTY replied there is not another piece of legislation                
dealing with bycatch right now.                                                
                                                                               
CO-CHAIRMAN HUDSON stated there is a bill by Representative Ivan M.            
Ivan that deals with roe stripping.  He does not know of any other             
legislation that deals with bycatch, however.                                  
                                                                               
Number 1735                                                                    
                                                                               
CHRIS BLACKBURN testified via teleconference in Kodiak.  She was               
part of the group and council that helped develop the improved                 
retention and utilization regime.  We all feel that all vessels,               
whether at sea or at shore, should learn to use what they catch and            
for the processors to processes what they catch.  Kodiak has been              
110 percent supportive of this and is very eager that the state of             
Alaska, a leader in conservation measures, also makes sure that                
this applies to state waters and fisheries.  We do not have a                  
discard problem nor do we want to have one in the future.  She also            
noted that because of the measure there are factory trawlers in the            
Bering Sea now that are making extraordinary efforts to try to stay            
out of Pacific cod which leaves more cod to those that are going to            
use it.                                                                        
                                                                               
CO-CHAIRMAN HUDSON called for a motion to move the bill out of the             
committee.                                                                     
                                                                               
Number 1796                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE BARNES made a motion to move HB 310, version 0-                 
LS1347\A, from the committee with individual recommendations and               
the attached zero fiscal note.  There being no objection, HB 310               
moved from the House Resources Standing Committee.