01/22/2001 05:02 PM House FSH

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
               HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES                                                                           
                        January 22, 2001                                                                                        
                             5:02 p.m.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ORGANIZATIONAL  MEETING  AND  OVERVIEW  BY  COMMERCIAL  FISHERIES                                                               
ENTRY COMMISSION                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
TAPES                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
01-1, SIDES A & B                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PEGGY   WILSON,  Co-Chair,  convened   the  House                                                               
Special Committee on Fisheries meeting at 5:02 p.m.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
PRESENT                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Committee members  present were Representatives  Stevens, Wilson,                                                               
Dyson, Coghill, Kapsner, and Kerttula.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  WILSON  introduced  the  House  Records  Secretary  and                                                               
committee aides for the co-chairs  of the House Special Committee                                                               
on  Fisheries. She  stated that  Representative  Stevens and  she                                                               
would take turns chairing the meetings.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WILSON reviewed committee rules and procedures.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MARY  McDOWELL,  Commissioner   for  Commercial  Fisheries  Entry                                                               
Commission  (also  known as  CFEC  or  Limited Entry  Commission)                                                               
presented  an  overview  on the  Limited  Entry  Commission.  She                                                               
included a history  of the program, functions of  the agency, and                                                               
current  issues.    She  also responded  to  questions  asked  by                                                               
committee members.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Committee members commented  on topics of interest  for the House                                                               
Special Committee on Fisheries.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DYSON stated his interest  in "what we don't know"                                                               
about fish  resources in Alaska,  transported or  exotic species,                                                               
and exploitation of the test fisheries.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  STEVENS commented  on  overall research  in Alaska,  in                                                               
particular the sea lion issue.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   KERTULLA  expressed   her  interest   in  having                                                               
presentations on the Carlson issue  and new shellfish regulations                                                               
in Southeast  Alaska.  She also  stated that she wanted  to learn                                                               
about future developments with the Frankenfish.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAPSNER  requested  hearing  from  the  Board  of                                                               
Fisheries, and  finding out what  research is being done  to find                                                               
out why there  are continuous fish disasters in  the Artic Yukon-                                                               
Kuskokwim (AYK) Area                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
On Friday, January 26, there will  be a fisheries caucus at 12:00                                                               
p.m. in the Butrovich Room.   On Friday, January 26, at 1:00 p.m.                                                               
there will be  a joint meeting with the  House Resources Standing                                                               
Committee for  an overview of  the Alaska Department of  Fish and                                                               
Game.  Monday, January 29, there  will be a general discussion of                                                               
the Steller sea lion issue.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  WILSON   adjourned  the  House  Special   Committee  on                                                               
Fisheries meeting at 5:50 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  State Capitol,  Room 3,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska   99801 (mailing  address),  (907) 465-2214,  and                                                               
after  adjournment of  the second  session  of the  Twenty-Second                                                               
Alaska  State Legislature  this  information may  be obtained  by                                                               
contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.