Legislature(2001 - 2002)
03/25/2002 01:10 PM House RES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HJR 46-BC MORATORIUM ON FISH FARMING CO-CHAIR SCALZI announced the next order of business, HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 46, Relating to the moratorium on fish farming in British Colombia. [There was a motion to adopt CSHJR 46(FSH) as the working document, but it was already before the committee.] Number 2068 JEAN ELLIS, Staff to Representative Peggy Wilson, Alaska State Legislature, presented HJR 46 on behalf of the House Special Committee on Fisheries, which Representative Wilson co-chairs and which sponsored the resolution. Ms. Ellis informed members that on January 31, 2002, the Government of British Columbia announced that the provincial moratorium on fish farming would be lifted. This decision could substantially affect the Alaskan economy and environment, both directly and indirectly, she said. This resolution strongly encourages the Government of British Columbia to reinstate the moratorium. MS. ELLIS reported that in 2001, there were 29,000 accidental releases of farmed salmon from British Columbia salmon farms. Escaped farmed Atlantic salmon, which have been caught in Alaska's commercial fisheries, pose a threat to Alaska's marine environment and the ecology of Pacific salmon. Escaped Atlantic salmon from British Columbia are now spawning in approximately 80 streams on the West Coast, Ms. Ellis said. They compete with Alaskan salmon for food, and there is a continuing concern with possible disease transfers. Seafood is Alaska's number-one international export, and the commercial fishing industry is Alaska's [primary] private-sector employer. Therefore, the House Special Committee on Fisheries strongly encourages the Alaska State Legislature to support reinstatement of the British Columbia moratorium on fish farming. MS. ELLIS acknowledged that there are some concerns with the bill. She said there is not proof that the salmon are actually spawning in the 80 [streams]; however, the salmon are spawning in [at least] a few streams. Number 1896 REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA moved to adopt [Amendment 1]. She requested that Ms. Ellis explain the content, noting that the changes are technical ones that Ms. Ellis has worked on through checking facts and talking to fishermen. She agreed that the 80 streams cannot be verified, for example. MS. ELLIS brought attention to the first portion of Amendment 1, which read [original punctuation provided]: Page 1 line 16 Delete "farmed Atlantic salmon are the largest bycatch by British Columbia fishermen and" Page 2 line 2 Following "fisheries" Insert "as far west as the Bering Sea" MS. ELLIS explained that although the [existing statement] is probably true for salmon fishermen, for clarity it would be better to remove that sentence. Therefore, [the resolution] would read as follows: "WHEREAS escaped farmed Atlantic salmon have been caught in Alaska commercial fisheries as far west as the Bering Sea; and" MS. ELLIS turned to the second part of Amendment 1, which read [original punctuation provided]: Page 2, line 8 Delete "spawning" Insert "found" Page 2, line 8 Following "streams" Insert "and most of these salmon are mature and capable of spawning" MS. ELLIS explained that the wording would then be: "found in approximately 80 streams". In response to Co-Chair Scalzi, she pointed out that the Alaska Trollers Association had found [these changes]. [Following a loose discussion of placement of the words and punctuation, Representative Kerttula, whose name was on the amendment, suggested the written wording was fine.] Number 1625 CO-CHAIR SCALZI asked if there was any objection to Amendment 1. There being no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted. CO-CHAIR SCALZI asked whether anyone else wished to testify; there was no response. REPRESENTATIVE STEVENS asked if these salmon have been found farther out the Aleutian chain. He asked whether that is as far west as Adak. Number 1559 GERON BRUCE, Deputy Director, Division of Commercial Fisheries, Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G), answered by relating his belief that the resolution refers to the fact that in a trawl survey in the Bering Sea, an Atlantic salmon was captured. Therefore, the assumption is that Atlantic salmon are present in the Bering Sea in some numbers and would be caught in salmon fisheries there; those fisheries include the coastal fisheries in Bristol Bay in the [Yukon-Kuskokwim] region along the north side of the peninsula. However, there are no actual documented recoveries of Atlantic salmon in those commercial fisheries. REPRESENTATIVE GREEN asked how the diseases of a Atlantic salmon would enter into the wild stock of Pacific salmon. MR. BRUCE answered that it would vary, depending upon the particular disease. He explained that certain diseases are transmitted through spawning activities. Therefore, if the two [types of salmon] are spawning in the same area, a disease could be transmitted. REPRESENTATIVE GREEN related his understanding that salmon return to the stream in which they were hatched. These Atlantic salmon were hatched elsewhere. He asked how these Atlantic salmon knew where to go. MR. BRUCE explained that a certain amount of straying occurs naturally in a salmon population. It is an evolutionary technique that enables them to colonize new areas and to survive if they can't return to the stream in which they were hatched. CO-CHAIR SCALZI added his belief that salmon also swim with different schools. Number 1355 CO-CHAIR MASEK moved to report CSHJR 46(FSH), as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note. There being no objection, CSHJR 46(RES) was moved out of the House Resources Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|