02/01/1999 05:05 PM House FSH

        HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES                                                                                    
                 February 01, 1999                                                                                              
                     5:05 p.m.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
PRESENTATION:  OVERVIEW BY THE ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME                                                               
                                                                                                                                
TAPE(S)                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
99-01, SIDE(S) A & B                                                                                                            
99-02, SIDE(S) A                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN BILL HUDSON called the House Special Committee on                                                                      
Fisheries meeting to order at 5:05 p.m.  Members present at the                                                                 
call to order were Representatives Hudson, Dyson, Whitaker, Harris,                                                             
Morgan, Kapsner and Smalley. Also present were Representatives                                                                  
Austerman and Green.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
ROBERT BOSWORTH, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Fish and Game,                                                              
came forward to outline the department's goals for the upcoming                                                                 
year.  He described the organization and duties of staff, and                                                                   
detailed various committees and their responsibilities.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
DOUG MECUM, Director, Division of Commercial Fisheries Management                                                               
and Development, Department of Fish and Game, presented a brief                                                                 
overview of his division and their mission.  He distributed two                                                                 
reports: "FY 2000 Budget Information - Division of Commercial                                                                   
Fisheries," and "Run Forecasts and Harvest Projections for 1999                                                                 
Alaska Salmon Fisheries and Review of the 1998 Season - The Short                                                               
Version."  He answered questions regarding research into recent                                                                 
declining fish returns, how federal emergency funds will be                                                                     
distributed, the Bering Sea Task Force, and the role of his                                                                     
division in marketing.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
KEVIN DUFFY, Salmon Rehabilitation Enhancement Coordinator,                                                                     
Division of Commercial Fisheries Management and Development,                                                                    
Department of Fish and Game, recommended setting up specific                                                                    
meetings with the committee to review recent Pacific Salmon Treaty                                                              
negotiations.  He discussed internally developing fisheries                                                                     
policies, and provided an update on the cooperative management                                                                  
effort with the Regional Dive Fishery Association in Southeast.  He                                                             
answered questions on the effect of Atlantic salmon farms in                                                                    
British Columbia on Alaska's wild stocks, and the high priority                                                                 
being placed on the development of a mariculture policy.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
KEVIN DELANEY, Director, Sport Fish Division, Department of Fish                                                                
and Game, described the duties and organization of his division.                                                                
He spoke of the challenges they face in ensuring healthy fish and                                                               
maintaining diverse quality and character.  He outlined funding by                                                              
means of licenses/stamps and federal funds.  He discussed locations                                                             
and functions of hatcheries, and specified their focus in each                                                                  
region.  He answered questions regarding guided sport fishing,                                                                  
resistance from some to be involved due to spiritual belief                                                                     
systems, and how the declining fish return has affected licensing                                                               
numbers.  Additionally, he responded to questions about how                                                                     
possible increases in sports fishing, guiding and outfitting would                                                              
affect subsistence fishermen.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
KEN TAYLOR, Deputy Director, Division of Habitat and Restoration,                                                               
Department of Fish and Game, explained how his division is broken                                                               
down into four programs. He assured the committee that he would                                                                 
find out if biologists were currently doing stream erosion work in                                                              
the Mat-Su Valley.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MARY C. PETE, Director, Division of Subsistence, Department of Fish                                                             
and Game, explained that Subsistence is mainly a research division.                                                             
They have found that Alaskans produce 45 million pounds of                                                                      
subsistence food per year: 68% of which is fish.  She informed the                                                              
committee that she is currently the chair of Yukon River Salmon                                                                 
Treaty negotiations, and that she has been actively involved in                                                                 
1998 disaster relief work to assess missing resources.  She                                                                     
answered questions regarding the distribution of $50 million in                                                                 
Federal Emergency Management Agency funding to Alaska. She reported                                                             
how the 60% loss in departmental funding has affected her staff.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the Committee                                                             
meeting was adjourned at 6:53 p.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
NOTE:  The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were                                                                  
taken.  A copy of the tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by                                                                  
contacting the House Records Office at 130 Seward Street, Suite                                                                 
211, Juneau, Alaska  99801-1182, (907) 465-2214, and after                                                                      
adjournment of the second session of the Twenty-first Alaska State                                                              
Legislature, in the Legislative Reference Library.