Legislature(2021 - 2022)GRUENBERG 120
04/21/2022 10:00 AM House FISHERIES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES
April 21, 2022
10:05 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Geran Tarr, Chair
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
Representative Dan Ortiz
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Louise Stutes, Vice Chair
Representative Sarah Vance
Representative Kevin McCabe
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: COMMERCIAL FISHERIES ENTRY COMMISSION
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
MELVIN SMITH, Commissioner
Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented a PowerPoint on behalf of the
Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission.
JON HAGHAYEGHI, Executive Director
Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented a PowerPoint on behalf of the
Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission.
ACTION NARRATIVE
10:05:30 AM
CHAIR GERAN TARR called the House Special Committee on Fisheries
meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. Representatives Kreiss-Tomkins,
Ortiz, and Tarr were present at the call to order.
^PRESENTATION: Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission
PRESENTATION: Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission
10:06:18 AM
CHAIR TARR announced that the only order of business would be a
presentation by the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission
(CFEC).
10:06:59 AM
MELVIN SMITH, Commissioner, Commercial Fisheries Entry
Commission, stated that his role as commissioner is to protect
the interest of commercial fishermen while ensuring
sustainability for future generations. The main topic of the
presentation would be policy objectives, 2021 accomplishments,
and a summary of day-to-day operations.
10:09:01 AM
JON HAGHAYEGHI, Executive Director, Commercial Fisheries Entry
Commission, directed attention to a PowerPoint presentation,
titled "Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission" [hard copy
included in the committee packet]. He began with a historical
overview of Alaska's salmon fisheries prior to the Limited Entry
Act, implemented in 1973, which established CFEC in 1974. The
commission's mission, in the public interest without unjust
discrimination, is to promote the conservation and the sustained
yield management of Alaska's fishery resource and the economic
health and stability of commercial fishing in Alaska by
regulating and controlling the entry of participants into
commercial fisheries. He pointed out that in fiscal year (FY
21), CFEC generated $7.2 million in revenue, of which $3.2
million went to the operating budget. He stated that 2021
performance outcomes included 32 adjudicated decisions, 16,161
commercial fishing permits issued, 8,290 vessel licenses issued,
1,794 permit transfers processed, the continuation of the Cook
Inlet Set Gillnet Optimum Numbers study, and the publication of
3 research reports. The quasi-judicial commission is supported
by four sections: licensing, adjudications, research, and data
processing. He gave a detailed overview of each section's core
functions.
10:28:23 AM
COMMISSIONER SMITH concluded his portion of the presentation
with an update from the chair commissioner.
10:30:03 AM
MR. HAGHAYEGHI, in response to questions from the committee,
synopsized three optimum-numbers studies: a 1994 study on
Southeastern roe herring; a study on the Northern Southeast
Inside sablefish longline fishery; and a current study on the
Cook Inlet fisheries. In addition, he pointed out that a report
is being drafted from survey data on fishermen's costs and
operations. To better understand the economic health of the
fisheries, the report will detail each fisheries average cost.
He discussed CFEC's proactive approach to monitoring fisheries
and the rate at which optimum-numbers studies have been
conducted. In particular, he pointed out the Cook Inlet
optimum-numbers survey. This survey on set netters in the
region consisted of 10 pages requesting financial data from the
past three years. He stated that only 11 percent of
participants responded, however, a statistically significant
inference was still captured. He expressed the opinion that
further consolidating CFEC could cause "devastating" impacts in
the future. Regarding the CFEC's role in monitoring fisheries,
he shared that the commission issues publications on the
economic health of each fishery. He described phase two of
limited entry as the monitoring of fisheries and ensuring that
optimum-numbers studies are conducted. He stated that this was
the impetus for his position.
11:01:06 AM
COMMISSIONER SMITH, in response to committee questions, agreed
that optimum-numbers studies should continue, especially for
distressed fisheries. He stated that to request an optimum-
numbers study in an already limited fisheries, [stakeholders]
would need to call or write CFEC; however, no requests have been
received thus far. He stated that three petition requests have
been made to limit open access fisheries. He said that Alaska
Statutes require the commission to confirm receipt of those
petitions, after which, the timeframe is open ended.
11:13:34 AM
MR. HAGHAYEGHI, in response to further committee questions,
described the three standards for conducting studies: return on
investment; the number of entry permits necessary to harvest the
allowable commercial take of fishery resources; and forfeited
costs. Limiting any of the three open access fisheries being
petitioned would require adjudication, resulting in an increase
in the number of limited entry permits and a slight reduction in
overall permitting issuance. He stated that following a 2015
audit, there were 13 pending adjudications, which have been
resolved. He added that none were appealed to the higher
courts.
11:34:13 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Fisheries meeting was adjourned at 11:34
a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| House Fisheries Committee - Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission Presentation 4.7.22.pdf |
HFSH 4/7/2022 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/12/2022 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/21/2022 10:00:00 AM |
CFEC |