01/29/2001 05:05 PM House FSH

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
              HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES                                                                            
                        January 29, 2001                                                                                        
                           5:05 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
GENERAL DISCUSSION ON THE STELLER SEA LION ISSUE                                                                                
                                                                                                                              
TAPES                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
01-4, SIDES A & B                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                              
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                              
REPRESENTATIVE  GARY STEVENS,  Co-Chair,  House Special  Committee                                                              
on Fisheries, called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
PRESENT                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                              
Committee members  present were  Representatives Stevens,  Wilson,                                                              
Scalzi,  Dyson,  Coghill, Kapsner,  and  Kerttula.   Also  present                                                              
were Senator Austerman and Representative Fate.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                              
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
DR. BALSIGNER, Regional   Director,   National  Marine   Fisheries                                                              
Service,  presented  an overview  of  the issues  surrounding  sea                                                              
lions and  National Marine Fisheries  actions pertaining  to these                                                              
issues.    He  also responded  to  questions  asked  by  committee                                                              
members.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
KEVIN  DUFFY, Deputy  Commissioner,  Alaska Department  of Fish  &                                                              
Game,  and a  member  of the  North Pacific  Fisheries  Management                                                              
Council (NPFMC),  reported  on the management  council meeting  in                                                              
December 2000 and responded to questions from committee members.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
DR.  ANDREW   TRITES,  Director,  Marine  Mammal   Research  Unit,                                                              
Fisheries Center,  University of  British Columbia,  presented sea                                                              
lion research  augmented by  a slide  presentation.  He  responded                                                              
to questions from committee members.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
GORDON   KRUSE,  Chair,   Governor's  Alaska   Steller  Sea   Lion                                                              
Restoration Team,  stated the purpose of the  restoration team and                                                              
gave a  synopsis of  issues they  are dealing  with.   He answered                                                              
questions from committee members.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
On  February 5,  HB  61, Habitat  Restoration/Enhancement  Grants,                                                              
will  be  heard.    There will  also  be  a  presentation  on  the                                                              
condition of  the Tongass  National Forest  roads and  culverts in                                                              
reference to fish and game.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
On  February 12  at 3:00  p.m. there  will  be tour  of the  DIPAC                                                              
hatchery facility.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
On February 12 at  5:00, HB 63, Electronic Fish  & Game Licensure,                                                              
will be heard.   There will also be an update  on the recent Board                                                              
of Fisheries meeting.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  STEVENS  adjourned  the  meeting of  the  House  Special                                                              
Committee on Fisheries at 6:35 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.