Legislature(1993 - 1994)
04/13/1994 08:15 AM House RES
| Audio | Topic |
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
April 13, 1994
8:15 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bill Williams, Chairman
Representative Bill Hudson, Vice Chairman
Representative Con Bunde
Representative Pat Carney
Representative John Davies
Representative Joe Green
Representative Jeannette James
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative David Finkelstein
Representative Eldon Mulder
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Carl Moses
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
Confirmation Hearing:
Board of Fisheries:
Kay Andrew
Dick Bower
Larry Engel
Board of Game
Richard Burley
Ed Grasser
Ernest Polley
Big Game Commercial Services Board
Scott Ogan
Thomas Scarborough
Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission
Dale Anderson
Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
Tuckerman Babcock
COMMITTEE REPORTS SIGNED FOR ALL APPOINTEES
WITNESS REGISTER
LARRY ENGEL
P.O. Box 197
Palmer, Alaska 99645
Phone: 745-4132
POSITION STATEMENT: Appointee, Board of Fisheries
DONALD WESTLUND
P.O. Box 7883
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Phone: 225-9319
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Kay Andrew's confirmation
BRIAN WARMUTH, Chairman
Ketchikan Trollers Committee
P.O. Box 6342
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Phone: 225-0432
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
GEORGE YASKA, Director of Wildlife
Tanana Chiefs Conference
122 1st Avenue
Fairbanks, Alaska 99701
Phone: 452-8251
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Larry Engel's and all Board of
Game appointees confirmation; Opposed
Kay Andrew's and Dick Bower's
confirmation
GEOFF BULLOCK, Representative
United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters
204 N. Franklin, Suite 2
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Phone: 586-5860
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
DALE BONDURANT
HC1 Box 1197
Soldotna, Alaska 99669
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Larry Engel's and Dick Bower's
confirmation
BEN ELLIS, Executive Director
Kenai River Sport Fishing, Inc.
P.O. Box 1228
Soldotna, Alaska 99669
Phone: 262-8588
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Larry Engel's and Dick Bower's
confirmation; Opposed Kay Andrew's
confirmation
JEFF PARKER, Representative
Alaska Sport Fishing Association
Trout Unlimited
1201 Hyder
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Phone: 274-5418
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Larry Engel's and Dick Bower's
confirmation; Opposed Kay Andrew's
confirmation
DAN ALBRECHT, Executive Director
Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association
733 W. 4th, #881
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Phone: 279-6519
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Kay Andrew's confirmation
KAREN SAMUELSON, Fisheries Specialist
Association of Village Council Presidents
P.O. Box 219
Bethel, Alaska 99559
Phone: 543-3521
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Kay Andrew's and Dick Bower's
confirmation
MYRON NANENG, President
Association of Village Council Presidents
P.O. Box 219
Bethel, Alaska 99559
Phone: 543-3521
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Kay Andrew's and Dick Bower's
confirmation
ARTHUR NELSON, Fisheries Specialist
Kawerak, Inc.
P.O. Box 948
Nome, Alaska 99762
Phone: 443-5231
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Kay Andrew's and Dick Bower's
confirmation; Supported Larry Engel's
confirmation
EILEEN NORBERT, Executive Director
Kawerak, Inc.
P.O. Box 948
Nome, Alaska 99762
Phone: 443-5231
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Kay Andrew's and Dick Bower's
confirmation; Supported Larry Engel's
confirmation
CHARLES SLATSKY
Address Unavailable
Unalakleet, Alaska 99684
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Kay Andrew's and Dick Bower's
confirmation
DEBBIE GIFFORD, Member
Port Alexander Fish and Game Advisory Board
P.O. Box 8125
Port Alexander, Alaska 99836
Phone: 568-2244
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
DENNIS LONGSMITH
P.O. Box 8066
Port Alexander, Alaska 99836
Phone: 568-2243
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
ROBERT JAHNKE
P.O. Box 991
Ward Cove, Alaska 99928
Phone: 247-8207
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
KATIE FISHER
P.O. Box 8052
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Phone: 225-7688
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
CHESTER DURAND, Chairman
Alaska Resident Sport Anglers Association
6590 Glacier Highway, #139
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Phone: 780-6889
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Dick Bower's and Larry Engel's
confirmation
KATE TROLL, Executive Director
Southeast Alaska Seiners Association
9226 Long Run
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Phone: 789-5117
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
JOSEPH JOLLY, President
United Cook Inlet Drift Association
HC02 P.O. Box 753
Soldotna, Alaska 99669
Phone: 283-9505
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation;
Opposed Larry Engel's and Dick Bower's
confirmation
KARL KIRCHER, Vice President
Kenai Peninsula Fishermen Association
P.O. Box 95
Kasilof, Alaska 99610
Phone: 262-2519
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Dick Bower's confirmation
HENRY MITCHELL, Executive Director
Bering Sea Fishermen's Association
725 Christenson Drive
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Phone: 279-6519
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Kay Andrew's confirmation
HAROLD SPARCK
P.O. Box 267
Bethel, Alaska 99559
Phone: 543-3788
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Kay Andrew's confirmation
PAGE HERRING, Board Member
Northern District Setnetters Association
P.O. Box 878837
Wasilla, Alaska 99687
Phone: 376-7243
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Kay Andrew's and Dick Bower's
confirmation
FRANK CHARLES, Executive Director
Coastal and In-Rivers Fisheries Alliance
P.O. Box 927
Bethel, Alaska 99559
Phone: 543-2608
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Kay Andrew's and Dick Bower's
confirmation
NEVIN MAY
P.O. Box 3160
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Phone: 247-4685
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
HAROLD HELFRICH
P.O. Box 6278
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Phone: 225-4058
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
DEAN PADDOCK, Representative
Bristol Bay Driftnetters Association
P.O. Box 21951
Juneau, Alaska 99802
Phone: 463-4970
POSITION STATEMENT: Neutral position
JERRY MCCUNE, President
United Fishermen of Alaska
211 Fourth St., #211
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Phone: 586-2820
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation;
Opposed Larry Engel's and Dick Bower's
confirmation
MARY HELFRICH
P.O. Box 6278
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Phone: 225-4058
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
DAVID BRAY, Secretary-Treasurer
United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters
2729 Tongass Avenue
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Phone: 225-3505
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
ROLLO BRAY
2729 Tongass Avenue
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Phone: 225-3505
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
AL WICKENS
P.O. Box 9465
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Phone: 225-7623
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
GREG RICE
200 Mattle Road
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Phone: 225-3093
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
KEN DUCKETT
P.O. Box 3178
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Phone: 225-0241
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Kay Andrew's confirmation
DICK BOWER
P.O. Box 3662
Soldotna, Alaska 99669
Phone: 262-7132
POSITION STATEMENT: Appointee, Board of Fisheries
KAY ANDREW
P.O. Box 7211
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Phone: 225-2463
POSITION STATEMENT: Appointee, Board of Fisheries
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 94-51, SIDE A
Number 000
The House Resources Committee was called to order by
Chairman Bill Williams at 8:27 a.m. Members present at the
call to order were Representatives Williams, Hudson, Bunde,
Carney, and Green. Members absent were Representatives
Davies, Finkelstein, James, and Mulder.
CHAIRMAN BILL WILLIAMS announced there is a quorum present.
He stated the meeting is on teleconference with Anchorage,
Bethel, Cordova, Dillingham, Fairbanks, Ketchikan, Mat-Su,
Nome, Petersburg, Sitka, Kenai/Soldotna, Port Alexander, and
Unalakleet.
Number 023
LARRY ENGEL, APPOINTEE, BOARD OF FISHERIES (BOF), PALMER,
testified via teleconference and stated he came to Alaska in
1958 and has lived in the state since then. He spent 32
years with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) as
a fishery biologist. He stated he has gained much from the
fishery resources in the state. He felt he has the
qualifications, interest, and the time to voluntarily give
back to that resource.
REPRESENTATIVE BILL HUDSON asked Mr. Engel to comment on his
career as a fish biologist and what areas he served.
MR. ENGEL responded he served less than a year in Juneau and
his remaining work was in the Cook Inlet area. Initially,
he functioned as a research biologist with the Division of
Sport Fish and for the past 25 years, as a management
biologist with the same division.
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON asked Mr. Engel if he has any
contractual relationship with the Mat-Su Borough.
MR. ENGEL stated prior to being appointed to the BOF, he
served as a Fishery Advisor to the Mat-Su Borough but upon
being appointed to the BOF, he extinguished that
relationship.
REPRESENTATIVE CON BUNDE clarified that Mr. Engel is aware
of the Kenai red salmon allocation problem and asked if he
has any ideas about solving that problem.
MR. ENGEL responded there needs to be an adjustment of the
allocation of red salmon in the Cook Inlet area. He felt
Ms. Andrew took a desirable first step to review the problem
by appointing a group of fishermen, from both sides of the
issue, to try to work toward a consensus point to bring back
to the BOF for action in the fall.
Number 077
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON asked how the legislature, while
trying to serve all of the various gear groups and regions,
can best achieve an impartial and professional view on the
premise of the board. He wondered if the current
constitution of the BOF and the way the board operates
provides for impartiality and professionalism.
MR. ENGEL replied the current BOF process is not perfect but
he felt there is no way to change that process. He stressed
there is a need to have lay people with different expertise
on the BOF, people sensitive to people's issues, good
listeners, and people who try to come up with a responsible
decision when there are different opinions throughout the
regional areas or between commercial, sport, or personal use
fishermen. He said the fishery resources are very valued
resources which are high in demand and there will always be
a certain amount of debate on issues regarding these
resources. He felt it is important to have the very best
possible group of people willing to serve on the BOF.
MR. ENGEL stated the fisheries are in good shape currently
as compared to the beginning of statehood, which can partly
be attributed to the BOF process, ADF&G, the Magnuson Act,
etc. He thought the BOF is truly a working body.
Number 117
CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS asked Mr. Engel to rank the importance of
subsistence, commercial, sport and other fisheries.
MR. ENGEL responded subsistence is the most important. He
felt the importance of the other uses varies in different
areas of the state. He felt that is why the BOF exists--to
allocate the resources in the most sensitive, fair, and open
way.
REPRESENTATIVE BUNDE asked Mr. Engel to comment on what he
feels is the most pressing problem the BOF is currently
facing.
MR. ENGEL stated there are many problems but one of the most
challenging is the problem with who, between the federal and
state government, has jurisdiction over the resources, which
has already had an impact on wildlife management. Another
problem is the challenges faced with the Bering Sea and the
Gulf of Alaska intercept of salmon and other precious
resources which are administered by the federal government.
REPRESENTATIVE BUNDE asked Mr. Engel his opinion about the
commercial selling of subsistence caught fish.
MR. ENGEL stated subsistence fishing is primarily for
nutrient purposes. He did not feel the commercial selling
of subsistence caught fish is a proper or wise use of the
resource. He stressed the BOF has taken steps to ensure
that subsistence caught fish are used for the purpose they
are intended.
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON requested Mr. Engel to rate the
support from ADF&G when the BOF is addressing difficult
issues and asked what the most difficult issue the BOF is
facing.
MR. ENGEL stated the ADF&G is one of the finest departments
in the nation and has some very dedicated scientists. He
said the department is hindered by the lack of funding and
is asked to do remarkable things to manage fishery resources
with very little financial resources being allocated to the
situation. Therefore, the department operates in a gray
area, in terms of the necessary scientific information
needed for the BOF to make wise decisions to ensure
sustained yield of the state's resources. He said in the
case of intercept fisheries, these fisheries are occurring
thousands of miles away from where the fish will ultimately
spawn. He felt intercept fisheries are the most difficult
types of fisheries to manage because they are very costly
because the fish stocks being dealt with are not known and
since they are being caught, possible surpluses are also not
known. It is a real dilemma for ADF&G to wisely manage
intercept fisheries, especially when the department does not
have the resources to research the various aspects.
MR. ENGEL said in the case of the chum salmon problem in
Western Alaska and the Unimak/Shumagin Islands intercept
fishery, the whole basis of the decision made was based on
tagging done in 1987. That is the type of knowledge
currently in existence for the impact of that fishery. He
felt the state has not invested enough in the fishery
resources to ensure the wisest continued use of these
resources.
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON asked Mr. Engel what year he retired.
MR. ENGEL responded 1992.
Number 205
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON observed in years past there were
considerably less resources than there are today. He said
populations have grown and the conflicts between gear groups
has risen to larger proportions. He clarified that Mr.
Engel made tough decisions in years past.
MR. ENGEL replied he did and added that the decisions back
then were harder to make because there was even less
information available on which to base the decisions.
Number 220
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON wondered if the BOF should be
constituted differently with advisory boards behind the BOF
and perhaps a commission.
MR. ENGEL responded the BOF, although not perfect, has
guided the fishery resources since statehood to all time
record levels of abundance. He noted there still are not
enough fish for all of the fishery users. There will always
be a question of what is fair, what is responsible, and what
is the best way to allocate the resources among the variety
of user groups. He said whether the BOF is a professional
board, full-time board, etc., it always comes down to
social, economic, and other issues and the decisions are
difficult.
Number 245
MR. ENGEL said the BOF needs to be made up of responsible,
fair, open-minded people, whether they are full-time,
professional, or whatever, making these decisions. He felt
the BOF, as constituted today, is a very workable body.
Number 253
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON said he has no concern in regard to
the desire to serve, the professionalism, and the dedication
the BOF members have. He stated his concern is whether or
not the system has sufficient flexibility, given the fact
the BOF is dealing with greater and differing populations,
which are pressing upon a changing fish population.
(CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS noted for the record that REPRESENTATIVE
JAMES and REPRESENTATIVE DAVIES joined the committee at 8:35
a.m. and 8:45 a.m. He also noted that REPRESENTATIVE MOSES
was in the audience.)
Number 291
DONALD WESTLUND, KETCHIKAN, testified via teleconference and
expressed opposition to the confirmation of Kay Andrew who
has anti-sport/pro-commercial fishing views. With between
97-98 percent of the catchable resource being caught by the
commercial fishermen, the sport fishermen need a
representative on the BOF who has fair views. He felt it is
time for the sport users to get a larger share of the
resource.
BRIAN WARMUTH, KETCHIKAN, testified via teleconference and
stated he is a troller and long liner, and also chairman of
the Ketchikan Trollers Committee. He expressed support of
Kay Andrew's confirmation. He stated Ms. Andrew is an
honest and fair person and he is confident that she has the
ability to manage the state's fishery resources in a fair
and equitable manner.
Number 334
GEORGE YASKA, DIRECTOR OF WILDLIFE, TANANA CHIEFS CONFERENCE
(TCC), stated TCC supports Larry Engel and the Board of Game
appointees and opposes the confirmation of Kay Andrew and
Dick Bower. In initially reviewing the resumes and
qualifications of Ms. Andrew and Mr. Bower, TCC was
appreciative of their qualifications. However, TCC also had
the opportunity to review their performance and found their
performance to be unacceptable. He said the ADF&G
commissioner and department spoke clearly about the need for
conservation measures in Western Alaska. He noted the 1987
tag study talked about 20-50 percent of the catch caught in
the False Pass area (Area M) were fish bound for western
Alaska. Another study stated 70-90 percent of the catch of
chum salmon in Area M were bound for western Alaska.
MR. YASKA said these projections are scary. When the south
Unimak fishing district catches over 500,000 chum salmon,
while he cannot even catch one chum salmon on the Yukon
River, and people in the Norton Sound have been unable to
catch at least one chum salmon for over seven years, the
situation is unfair. He advised Ms. Andrew and Mr. Bower
the BOF cannot conduct business as usual and the
commissioner agreed. ADF&G outlined a range of savings to
be gained if the BOF were to reduce the chum salmon cap at
the intercept fishery of south Unimak. An example is the
Snake River near Nome. The department stated the savings
would be from 20-100 fish. When the stream is down to 300
fish and an extra 100 might be gained, that is a substantial
savings. He stressed that Ms. Andrew and Mr. Bower said the
savings were not enough and did not justify harming or
placing a financial hardship on the commercial fishery. TCC
feels Ms. Andrew and Mr. Bower place a higher value on the
commercial fisheries than the conservation of the resource.
Number 401
GEOFF BULLOCK, REPRESENTATIVE, UNITED SOUTHEAST ALASKA
GILLNETTERS (USAG), said when Ms. Andrew had asked USAG to
endorse her for the BOF a year ago, she was advised not to
put her name in because it is difficult to be appointed, go
through several BOF meetings, and then be up for
confirmation since she would then have a track record, which
some people may not like. He expressed concern about the
precedence being set in the sense that a decision was made,
a vote was taken, and now there is plenty of opposition. He
stated Ms. Andrew did a great job at the Ketchikan meeting,
not siding with the gillnetters, even though her husband is
a gillnetter. He felt Ms. Andrew is level headed, sincere,
and goes by the facts.
MR. BULLOCK said from what he has heard, there were no facts
on the effects of the False Pass issue. He felt Ms. Andrew
spoke from her heart by stating another fishery should not
be penalized or shut down because there may be a possibility
a cap might help. He stressed ADF&G needs to provide solid
figures and facts. He thought it was unfair to oppose
someone who made a decision based on information which was
not factual. He felt the committee should be looking at Ms.
Andrew's qualifications and urged their support for her
appointment.
Number 450
DALE BONDURANT, SOLDOTNA, testified via teleconference and
expressed support of the confirmations of Larry Engel and
Dick Bower. He has known Mr. Engel for many years and finds
him to be level-headed. He said Mr. Bower has been an
active public participant in fishery resources issues and
has shown his concern by the amount of work he has done. He
stated he only heard Ms. Andrew speak for about five days at
a recent BOF hearing but felt she ran an excellent meeting.
However, he has not formed any opinions in regard to her
position on managing for sustained yield, managing mixed
stock fisheries, or conservation of the total fishing
resources. His position on Ms. Andrew's confirmation is
neutral, although he leans toward favoring her appointment
because of the fact that sometimes the Chair is more
critically appraised than any other member. He pointed out
the BOF must have had good reasons for selecting Ms. Andrew
as Chair.
BEN ELLIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KENAI RIVER SPORT FISHING,
INC. (KRSF), testified via teleconference and stated KRSF
supports the confirmation of Dick Bower and Larry Engel and
opposes the confirmation of Kay Andrew to the BOF. KRSF
believes that regardless of whether a person is a strong
advocate for commercial fisheries or a staunch supporter of
the sport, personal, or subsistence fishing, everyone agrees
that the state's fisheries have been a critical part of
Alaska's past and will be an important aspect to the state's
future. He felt everyone also agrees that Alaska's fishing
footprint is changing. The depressed prices for
commercially caught fish, overseas competition from pen-
reared salmon, and wanton waste of hundreds of thousands of
incidental bycatch each year has sent commercial fishing
into a tail spin.
Number 515
MR. ELLIS said while the state's commercial fishing industry
is facing one of the toughest decades ever, personal use,
sport, and subsistence fishing has grown from a wet behind
the ears towhead to an adult in the state's economic and
political arena. He stated sport fishing continues to field
a growing tourist economy which accounted for more than $1
billion last year, more Alaskans are asking for a larger
share of the state's fishery pie to fill their freezers and
Alaska Natives continue to push, under federal and state
laws, for more of this already fully allocated resource for
their traditional and customary lifestyles, as they should.
To meet these challenges, there must be BOF members who
realize that mixed stock fisheries must be harvested for the
most part after the stock has naturally separated themselves
into terminal rivers and streams. There must be BOF members
who will act to protect the resource first, provide
noncommercial users their constitutional right and then
after these commitments have been met, allow a commercial
harvest of any surplus fish. There must be BOF members who
will bring changing management plans to fit the new
footprint.
MR. ELLIS stated KRSF believes Mr. Bower and Mr. Engel
measure up to these standards. Even though KRSF may not
agree with all of Mr. Bower's and Mr. Engel's votes, in
listening to their reasoning, it is hard to fault these two
men who bring a sport fishing perspective to the BOF from
Southcentral Alaska. He noted KRSF believes Ms. Andrew is a
fine individual, and has appeared to give her best shot
during the year she has served on the BOF. However, her
continued apparent bias toward protecting the state's
commercially dominated fisheries management plans, at the
expense of terminal users, and more recently, her inability
as Board Chair to apply the newly developed mixed stock
management plan during the AYK area (indiscernible), among
other things, leads KRSF to oppose her confirmation. He
said it is a critical time for the BOF and the board must be
comprised of members who will respond to the public's wishes
for change which is not all status quo. He stressed Mr.
Bower and Mr. Engel know what needs to be done to make the
transition to the new Alaska fisheries.
Number 564
JEFF PARKER, REPRESENTATIVE, ALASKA SPORT FISHING
ASSOCIATION AND TROUT UNLIMITED, testified via
teleconference and stated both organizations support the
confirmations of Dick Bower and Larry Engel and oppose the
confirmation of Kay Andrew. He stated the BOF needs the
best possible people to deal with fishery conservation and
allocation issues, which should not be determined so much by
how any given individual votes on any particular issue, but
rather should be determined first by putting conservation of
the fishery resources ahead of any other user group's
interest and ahead of allocation. The BOF members need to
recognize that after conservation is the subsistence
priority and then allocations between different user groups.
MR. PARKER said there is a need to have people on the BOF
who have the highest integrity, who can put the public's
interests above personal interests, who can deal with
complex issues in the context of decreased budgets and
limited information, and who can work with and get the
respect of ADF&G's staff. Both organizations believe Ms.
Andrew does not meet this criteria. He stated Ms. Andrew
appears to have the inability to deal with and implement the
mixed stock policy in the Area M fishery, where ADF&G has
clear factual data showing the amount of intercepts of chum
salmon, the degree of the conservation problem at issue in
western Alaska and the degree of the noncompliance with the
subsistence priority. It is felt that Ms. Andrew ignored
the data, which is part of the reason why both organizations
do not support her confirmation.
MR. PARKER stressed what is more important is how any BOF
member addresses the complex issues and the data presented
by ADF&G staff. It is felt that Ms. Andrew did not try and
assimilate that data and did not do an adequate job of
leading the Board toward utilizing that data. Both
organizations feel that Mr. Engel has impeccable credentials
and clearly understands that conservation comes first,
understands subsistence priorities, and the complexities of
the allocation issues. In regard to Mr. Bower and his vote
on the Area M, it is felt he tried to grapple with very
complex issues. Mr. Parker thought that Mr. Bower does
understand that the conservation priority is first, which
was reflected in his testimony on Monday and he clearly
understands the subsistence priority. Although Mr. Parker
disagreed with how Mr. Bower voted on the chum cap issue, he
felt Mr. Bower brings to the BOF the type of capability
necessary to make these decisions.
Number 632
DAN ALBRECHT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, YUKON RIVER DRAINAGE
FISHERIES ASSOCIATION, testified via teleconference and
expressed opposition to the confirmation of Kay Andrew to
the BOF. He said he had heard Ms. Andrew state on Monday
that ADF&G had said only 4,000 fish would be saved if the
chum salmon cap was reduced to 300,000. He clarified that
the 4,000 fish to be saved was for the Norton Sound alone
and the actual savings for western Alaska chum salmon would
be from 20-50 percent (as indicated by the tag study) or
perhaps above that. Therefore, the potential savings would
be from 150,000 to 300,000 fish for western Alaska, at a
time when the escapement goals were not even being met, when
commercial fisheries were closed, and at a time when even
the subsistence fisheries were closed.
MR. ALBRECHT recalled at the time, there was a lot of
discussion that a cap would not make that much difference,
yet there were a lot of fish missing. He said the Director
of Commercial Fisheries, Jeff Koenings and the ADF&G
commissioner had pointed out that every single fish helps.
He pointed out that in the Yukon area, there has been a
drastically restricted commercial fisheries since 1990 and
there were complete subsistence closures in 1993, all done
to protect the resource. The fishermen understand the need
to cut back yet those fishermen go to the BOF meetings and
watch Ms. Andrew do everything she can to ensure that Area M
gets their red salmon and ignore the conservation mandate
for chum salmon.
MR. ALBRECHT stated it was pointed out by several experts at
the BOF meetings that the chum salmon cap needs to be
lowered and they showed clear savings, depending on how much
the cap was reduced. He stressed the fishermen in the
villages are frustrated and are wondering if there is a need
to close subsistence fishing for five or ten years before
the BOF will do anything to restrict the mixed stock
commercial intercept fishery. Mr. Albrecht said his
association urges the rejection of Ms. Andrew's
confirmation.
Number 712
KAREN SAMUELSON, FISHERIES SPECIALIST, ASSOCIATION OF
VILLAGE COUNCIL PRESIDENTS (AVCP), testified via
teleconference and stated AVCP opposes the confirmation of
Kay Andrew and Dick Bower to the BOF. She pointed out that
at the last BOF meeting, both Mr. Bower and Ms. Andrew voted
against the conservation of chum salmon in western Alaska by
not attempting to lower the chum salmon cap. ADF&G
presented information which stated that chum stocks
returning to the AYK region have been declining and despite
significant efforts to revoke the decline, it has not
helped. ADF&G is forecasting below average returns and if
the survival rate for chum salmon is similar to 1993,
returns will be critically low. She stressed that situation
will result in subsistence closures and restrictions in
Norton Sound, Yukon, and Kuskokwim River drainages.
MS. SAMUELSON stated ADF&G had stressed that savings from a
reduced cap would be significant. With this information and
the department's recommendation to lower the chum salmon
cap, both Ms. Andrew and Mr. Bower voted not to lower the
cap. By this action, they have clearly shown they hold
commercial and economic interests over historic sustained
yield. She said the Alaska BOF is a valuable process, but
it is only as effective as the people on the board. AVCP
believes that Ms. Andrew and Mr. Bower do not intend to
uphold the requirements of the law for sustained yield or
subsistence priority, especially in light of the
conservation crisis, making the BOF process biased and
unworkable. AVCP feels upholding the state's requirement
for sustained yield and subsistence priority are a necessary
qualification for the members of the board, of which Ms.
Andrew and Mr. Bower do not have. AVCP requests the House
Resources Committee to not confirm the appointments of Mr.
Bower and Ms. Andrew to the BOF.
TAPE 94-51, SIDE B
Number 000
MYRON NANENG, PRESIDENT, AVCP, testified via teleconference
and stated the March BOF meeting was the third meeting to
address conservation concerns. He stressed the BOF voted to
ignore the sustained yield principle and the requirements of
the State Constitution. He pointed out that Kay Andrew and
Dick Bower ignored the fact that Area M is part of the
migratory route of the chum salmon now in trouble. He felt
these actions reflect a problem with the BOF system.
Comments such as "the fishery a thousand miles away does not
have any impact on the fishery in the AYK area" makes him
wonder if the BOF is going to wait until the complete
elimination of those types of fish before any action is
taken. He gave an example of conservation efforts in regard
to migratory birds.
MR. NANENG felt these type of situations and actions have to
be looked at when considering people for the BOF. If this
problem continues to be ignored, the people affected by this
system are going to be looking at the Endangered Species Act
for their protection. AVCP requests the House Resources
Committee to oppose the appointments of Kay Andrew and Dick
Bower who have further placed people into federal management
and given them more reason to do so because currently,
federal management is the people's only alternative to
protect the resource and their livelihood. He stressed
people should not be scolded by the BOF Chair for pleading
to have food on their tables. AVCP does not support Ms.
Andrew or Mr. Bower because they voted to eliminate a
resource of the state.
Number 042
ARTHUR NELSON, FISHERIES SPECIALIST, KAWERAK, INC.,
testified via teleconference and stated with the outcome of
the March BOF meetings, it seems it will be business as
usual for the Area M fishermen. He said when Kay Andrew and
Dick Bower voted against the reduction in the chum cap, they
essentially voted against the state's sustained yield policy
and subsistence use priority. He felt the March BOF
meetings failed to do much about the real problem at hand.
The BOF was shown there is a link between a decline in
western Alaska chum salmon runs and the commercial
interceptions occurring within Area M. He pointed out
little was done to solve the problem, except to place more
restrictions upon the terminal fishermen of AYK who are
already carrying the full burden of conservation.
MR. NELSON stated when basing decisions on little
information, it seems logical to error on the side of
conservation. The BOF members voting against the 300,000
chum cap erred on the side of economics. He quoted a
statement which Kay Andrew made before the BOF voted on the
cap where she put the potential economic impacts of Area M
above the sustained yield for the depressed chum stocks.
She said, "Is it worth taking that away from the people in
the North Peninsula and causing them gigantic financial
difficulties for twenty fish in the Snake River." He
stressed 20 fish is highly significant to such a severely
depressed stock such as the Snake River.
MR. NELSON stressed the issue was not only about 20 fish for
the Snake River. He stated according to the data which was
before the BOF in March, a cap meant up to 43,000 fish for
the Yukon, 42,000 for the Kuskokwim, and 16,000 for the
Norton Sound. He recalled at the Monday morning House
Resources Committee meeting, Ms. Andrew stated incorrectly
that the reduced chum cap would only mean an extra 4,000
fish for AYK. He pointed out the reduction in the chum cap
would actually give 98,000 chum salmon back to the AYK area.
He also recalled that Ms. Andrew and Mr. Bower had mentioned
troll bycatch at that earlier meeting. He felt those
comments were an effort to draw attention away from the
issue which was before them in March. He said troll bycatch
may very well be another cause for the chum decline but that
was not up to the BOF, but rather Area M was and it was
shown to be an interception problem.
MR. NELSON commended Commissioner Rosier and Larry Engel for
their willingness to take a stand on the conservation of
chum salmon in western Alaska. He felt Ms. Andrew and Mr.
Bower failed to heed the recommendations of the department
and see the urgency of the problem. He expressed opposition
to the confirmation of Kay Andrew and Dick Bower and
supports Larry Engel's confirmation.
Number 080
EILEEN NORBERT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KAWERAK, INC., testified
via teleconference and strongly urged committee members to
not confirm Kay Andrew and Dick Bower for the BOF. Kawerak,
Inc. supports the confirmation of Larry Engel. She stressed
there is a critical conservation problem in Norton Sound and
noted that Norton Sound chum salmon are the most depressed
stocks in western Alaska and have been so for the longest
period of time. Subsistence fishing has been closed to the
Nome subdistrict for the past three years, last year Elim
was closed down, and next year the area biologists predict
subsistence fishing will have to be shut down in Golovin.
MS. NORBERT stated ADF&G has acknowledged all regulatory
measures implemented to address the situation have not
worked. There have been no subsistence fish in the Snake
River for many years and last year, only 317 fish escaped.
She said people tend to forget that the Area M chum harvest
is a bycatch. The chum cap was put into effect as a
conservation measure. She felt Area M is treated like a
sacred cow which cannot be touched. She pointed out that
Ms. Andrew and Mr. Bower did not hesitate to vote for more
restrictions on the AYK area. She noted that residents in
the AYK area are willing to do their part. However, neither
Ms. Andrew or Mr. Bower voted to reduce the Area M bycatch,
which showed a dereliction of duties considering what the
State Constitution, stated regulations and the BOF mixed
stock policy all say about conservation being first,
subsistence priority next and then other uses later.
MS. NORBERT stated all that is desired is good judgment and
fair treatment. She felt Ms. Andrew was contradictory on
what she said at the March meeting and what she said at
Monday's House Resources Committee meeting.
Number 132
CHARLES SLATSKY, UNALAKLEET, testified via teleconference
and stated he is a subsistence and commercial fisherman. He
expressed opposition to the confirmation of Kay Andrew and
Dick Bower to the BOF. He stressed Alaska needs a BOF Chair
who looks at the entire state and regional complexities and
he felt Ms. Andrew does not have that capability. He said
at the March BOF meetings, Ms. Andrew (indiscernible)
regarding the Area M chum cap. He noted Ms. Andrew
contradicts herself. At the most recent Kawerak Board of
Elders meeting, she said she would support the subsistence
effort at the BOF meeting, yet did not do so. He felt Ms.
Andrew has a callused attitude toward ADF&G staff, who gave
her a recommendation to lower the chum cap and gave proof
there is a scientific link between Area M and the AYK area.
He remarked that Mr. Bower has the same attitude toward the
AYK region. He stressed Alaska needs two effective BOF
members who will look at the whole picture.
Number 160
DEBBIE GIFFORD, MEMBER, PORT ALEXANDER FISH AND GAME
ADVISORY BOARD, testified via teleconference and expressed
support for the confirmation of Kay Andrew. She saw Ms.
Andrew at work at the Ketchikan January BOF meetings and
felt Ms. Andrew conducted herself in a professional manner,
was easy to approach with questions, and was attentive and
responsive to concerns expressed. She pointed out that Ms.
Andrew did not hesitate to ask questions if she was not
clear on a subject.
DENNIS LONGSMITH, PORT ALEXANDER, testified via
teleconference and expressed support for the confirmation of
Kay Andrew to the BOF. He stated Ms. Andrew represents
Southeast Alaska and commercial fisheries. He felt it is
important to have all groups and areas represented on the
BOF and therefore, he does not oppose the confirmations of
Larry Engel or Dick Bower. He said at the January BOF
meetings in Ketchikan, he found Ms. Andrew to be attentive,
approachable, and considerate in deliberations.
Number 185
ROBERT JAHNKE, WARD COVE, testified via teleconference and
expressed support for the confirmation of Kay Andrew. He
said he had witnessed Ms. Andrew over the years and the key
word with Ms. Andrew is integrity. He also felt Ms. Andrew
is intelligent and fair. He stated Ms. Andrew makes fair
decisions and is familiar with all of the regions in the
state, as well as the controversies and problems at hand.
He expressed support also for the BOF and Advisory Board
processes.
KATIE FISHER, KETCHIKAN, testified via teleconference and
noted her husband has been a commercial fisherman in
Southeast Alaska for 20 years. She and her husband both
support the confirmation of Kay Andrew to the BOF because
she provides the best representation for southern Southeast
Alaska fisheries.
Number 216
CHESTER DURAND, CHAIRMAN, ALASKA RESIDENT SPORT ANGLERS
ASSOCIATION (ARSAA), expressed opposition to the
confirmation of Larry Engel and Dick Bower. ARSAA believes
Mr. Engel and Mr. Bower both have strong ties to the
commercial charter fishing industry and therefore cannot
support the resident sport anglers and subsistence users.
It is felt Mr. Engel and Mr. Bower will go forward with the
commercial charter industry first and then whatever is left
over will go back to the personal use fishermen.
KATE TROLL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOUTHEAST ALASKA SEINERS
ASSOCIATION, said committee members will probably think
because her association is a commercial group, it will
automatically support Kay Andrew's confirmation. She
stressed it is not automatic because the seiners and
gillnetters have a history of long, controversial allocation
battles in Southeast Alaska and when Ms. Andrew's name came
up, there were concerns and questions. She stated Ms.
Andrew was observed at the Ketchikan BOF meetings and after
that meeting, the Southeast Alaska Seiners Association Board
voted unanimously to support Ms. Andrew. Ms. Andrew treated
Ms. Troll's board fairly and openly and asked good
questions. It was felt that Ms. Andrew had the interest of
all users in mind. The fact that Ms. Troll's board supports
Ms. Andrew, after a history of confrontation with the other
gear group, speaks well of her ability to go forward and
serve the state.
Number 256
JOSEPH JOLLY, PRESIDENT, UNITED COOK INLET DRIFT ASSOCIATION
(UCIDA), testified via teleconference and expressed support
for the confirmation of Kay Andrew and opposes the
confirmations of Larry Engel and Dick Bower. He said
letters contained in committee members' folders indicate a
neutral position on Mr. Bower but after Monday's House
Resources Committee meeting and Mr. Bower's response to a
question posed by Representative Nicholia, the UCIDA Board
voted unanimously to oppose the confirmation of Dick Bower.
Number 268
KARL KIRCHER, KASILOF, VICE PRESIDENT, KENAI PENINSULA
FISHERMEN ASSOCIATION (KPFA), testified via teleconference
and expressed opposition to the confirmation of Dick Bower
to the BOF. He said Mr. Bower's appointment is a
continuation of a promise Governor Hickel made when running
for office to curtail the commercial fishery in Cook Inlet
in favor of sport fishing. He said Mr. Bower has shown no
previous commitment to become involved in Alaska fisheries
issues prior to this allocation issue. Mr. Bower's
appointment came from the short list supplied to the
Governor by Bob Penney, who continues to call the Governor
on his campaign promise. The furor orchestrated by Mr.
Penney with his Cook Inlet allocation bill, as well as
continued requests for an agenda change to address Cook
Inlet issues at the BOF, created an atmosphere in which Mr.
Bower's appointment was made with one issue in mind.
MR. KIRCHER stated although seemingly (indiscernible), Mr.
Bower's appointment for the above reasons could have been
mere speculation if it had not been for his testimony before
the committee on Monday. Mr. Bower stated in no uncertain
terms that he does carry a preconceived agenda on allocation
issues; that being the commercial allocation is always the
lowest priority. Mr. Bower had stated, "Based on that
approach to it, I would say that commercial allocation then
becomes, if you will, the lowest priority."
MR. KIRCHER thought in Mr. Bower's mind, the allocations
criteria given to the BOF by the legislature should be
forgotten and his own approach should be used, socking it to
the commercial fisherman. When asked by Representative
Nicholia to speak on subsistence, commercial fishing, and
sustained yield in regard to mixed stock fisheries, Mr.
Bower turned his answer into a monologue on sport fishing
priorities. Mr. Kircher noted that Mr. Bower had stated,
"In the underlying existing circumstances that the number
one allocation after spawning and subsistence is
noncommercial use." For that reason, Mr. Kircher opposes
Mr. Bower's confirmation. If Mr. Bower is to serve on the
BOF, these underlying circumstances along with his
appointment and his agenda will affect all of his decisions.
MR. KIRCHER felt the BOF has too great of (indiscernible)
and too much important work to do to give up one of the
seats to a person with such a narrow focus. He said Mr.
Bower failed to take (indiscernible) long enough to answer
Representative Nicholia's question and instead used the
opportunity to (indiscernible). KPFA is not opposed to Mr.
Bower's confirmation because he is a sport fishing
representative, but because he approaches his task without
being objective and does not bring expertise to the board,
but instead advocacy to the BOF process. He stressed there
are many confident individuals who could bring the sport
fish perspective to the BOF and participate objectively as
the board addresses tough allocation questions. KPFA does
not believe Mr. Bower is one of them.
Number 320
HENRY MITCHELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BERING SEA FISHERMEN'S
ASSOCIATION (BSFA), testified via teleconference and
expressed opposition to the confirmation of Kay Andrew for
the BOF. He stated Ms. Andrew's performance at the recent
BOF meeting was one of the worst performances by a Chair he
has ever witnessed. He pointed out Ms. Andrew used her
position to congratulate witnesses who were attacking the
commissioner and his staff, and turned the meeting into a
vehicle to denounce the commissioner. He recalled someone
earlier had mentioned ADF&G has the finest staff in the
nation. BSFA feels that is true. BSFA also believes the
ADF&G staff took the best available information and informed
the BOF they had serious conservation concerns needing to be
addressed. Ms. Andrew, in her position as Chair,
manipulated the BOF, confused the issues, and put the BOF in
a position of not taking any action on one of the most
serious conservation issues facing the state.
MR. MITCHELL stated it is interesting that everyone is
commenting on why they may or may not like the appointees
and he observed that people like certain people because they
represent an interest. He asked who is there to represent
the fish, which is the first mandate in the State's
Constitution and also mandated in the mixed stock policy.
He stressed the BOF is ignoring the mandates. BSFA believes
that Ms. Andrew knows what the law is but has decided to
ignore it for fear that any precedence set in the Area M
fishery, would ricochet and hit every commercial fishery in
the state. If there are conservation concerns in other
areas of the state, the BOF has to be in a position of
dealing with them. He stressed the fish come first, not the
petty allocation battles between commercial and sport
fishing.
Number 372
HAROLD SPARCK, BETHEL, testified via teleconference and
stated he and his family are subsistence fishermen dependent
on the run of chum salmon into western Alaska. He said he
is also knowledgeable about the history of state allocation
decisions and the federal fisheries in regard to how fish
are managed to provide for sustained yield. At the recent
BOF meetings, Ms. Andrew was very hostile to ADF&G and
people from western Alaska, who were concerned about fish
being put back into spawning streams, having future runs,
and trying to put food on their family's table for
subsistence.
MR. SPARCK spoke with Ms. Andrew at the meeting and
questioned her about her premises and Noyes Island came up.
He noted that Noyes Island is a very controversial fishery
in Southeast Alaska and is a source of irritation to
Southeast Alaska people in regard to the Pacific Salmon
Treaty. He asked Ms. Andrew why Noyes Island was in her
mind when she was looking at western Alaska and in response,
she talked about a domino effect. She said anything done in
Area M was going to affect Noyes Island and would similarly
affect Kodiak. He stated these three areas are fisheries
conducted on mixed stocks of fish. He noted Ms. Andrew went
into the meeting, which dealt specifically with the regional
issue of the bycatch of chum salmon down from western
Alaska's spawning streams, with the idea that she had to
take actions to protect Noyes Island.
MR. SPARCK said based on the way that Ms. Andrew conducted
herself at the meeting as Chair, the way she asked
questions, and berated witnesses and the commissioner, it
was clear she had other intentions. Therefore, he does not
support Kay Andrew's confirmation.
Number 431
PAGE HERRING, BOARD MEMBER, NORTHERN DISTRICT SETNETTERS
ASSOCIATION (NDSA), testified via teleconference and
expressed opposition to the confirmation of Kay Andrew and
Dick Bower to the BOF. NDSA believes both appointees have
been easily swayed by the big intercept fisheries and have
refused to look at terminal (indiscernible) interest. She
said Mr. Bower's focus apparently does not go beyond the
(indiscernible) in Cook Inlet. NDSA feels when it comes to
decisions about Cook Inlet, Mr. Bower will probably look at
the Kenai only and ignore not only the commercial setnetters
in the northern district but also the Mat-Su Borough sport
fishermen. NDSA is also extremely upset over Ms. Andrew's
and Mr. Bower's reluctance to apply the mixed stock policy
to the Kodiak/Shelikof Straight issue.
MS. HERRING recalled in Monday's committee meeting, Ms.
Andrew had said she kept hearing from the public that they
wanted a task force. She wondered which public Ms. Andrew
had talked to because the Cook Inlet people clearly wanted a
vote and an application of the mixed stock policy. Ms.
Andrew had indicated to several people that she was afraid
to do that because of the implications in the AYK/Area M
dispute.
Number 460
FRANK CHARLES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COASTAL AND IN-RIVER
FISHERIES ALLIANCE (CIRFA), testified via teleconference and
expressed opposition to the confirmation of Kay Andrew and
Dick Bower to the Alaska BOF. At the beginning, CIRFA's
involvement and understanding of the appointees' views and
philosophy on fisheries management in the state was a
positive one. He said unfortunately, by voting against a
chum cap in Area M based on faulty and political reasoning
clearly demonstrated Mr. Bower and Ms. Andrew are not
capable of seeing through the background noise, which is
always a problem at BOF meetings, nor willing to vote or
deliberate for the protection of migrating western Alaska
chum salmon. He noted Mr. Bower and Ms. Andrew were also
not supportive of any restrictive measures in the
Kodiak/Shelikof Straight fishery to protect migrating Cook
Inlet bound sockeye, placing those sockeye at the mercy of
targeting by the Kodiak fleet. By voting to establish a
task force to address this continued intercept fishery only
delays and compounds an ongoing problem.
MR. CHARLES stated it was evident that Ms. Andrew was
willing to protect Southeast Alaska from the possibility of
the same types of measures being adopted there some time in
the future. CIRFA believes that the AYK area and the
(indiscernible) chum salmon in the north Shelikof
(indiscernible) intercept of (indiscernible) sockeye are
(indiscernible) problems which should be addressed
separately from any other regions in the state. He stressed
the problem with depressed chum salmon stocks should be
based on biological facts and solutions, not on an economic
or political basis. He pointed out that Ms. Andrew's
comments on Monday were not reflective of the true
situation. CIRFA believes Ms. Andrew's and Mr. Bower's lack
of experience and leadership will and can be a detriment to
the public process established by previous Boards.
MR. CHARLES commented that neither Ms. Andrew nor Mr. Bower
have demonstrated they can work with (indiscernible) on the
board. He said the state should place people on the BOF who
care for the state's most important renewable resource and
look at every measure and action to keep the resources.
Number 525
NEVIN MAY, KETCHIKAN, testified via teleconference and
stated he is a 28 year commercial fisherman. He expressed
support for the confirmation of Kay Andrew to the BOF. He
has known Ms. Andrew for many years and knows her to be a
person who will listen to all sides and make fair and
equitable decisions for everyone involved.
HAROLD HELFRICH, KETCHIKAN, testified via teleconference and
expressed support for the confirmation of Kay Andrew to the
BOF. He said Ms. Andrew has a wealth of knowledge and
experience in all Alaska fishery issues. He felt Ms. Andrew
will be a valuable member of the BOF who will be able to
make fair decisions and a person who will represent all of
Alaska.
DEAN PADDOCK, REPRESENTATIVE, BRISTOL BAY DRIFTNETTERS
ASSOCIATION, stated what is being discussed is the present
BOF process, which is unique and has worked well since
statehood. He noted the most recent meetings of the BOF
have been difficult and contentious. He stressed he was not
pleased with the action the BOF failed to take at the March
meeting concerning Area M. In his opinion, two of the three
appointees voted wrong. He believed there was a scientific
link demonstrated and every intercept fishery should share
in the pain when there is a stock faced with a crisis.
However, he is not ready to oppose the confirmations of any
of the appointees because of the difficulty and complexity
of the issues involved.
MR. PADDOCK stated the BOF process is unique and he is not
ready to see it eliminated. He felt urging the rejection of
a new member because of a vote on one issue, even though it
is the most important issue ever to come before the BOF,
will mean coming back to the legislature and arguing about
every appointment. He predicted if that happens, the
legislature will be considering a professional, full-time
board. He stressed Alaska fishery issues are the most
extensive anywhere in the U.S. If the BOF is going to be a
lay board, there is a need to see a much higher level of
professionalism on the part of the ADF&G staff. While he
agrees that the ADF&G staff is the finest in the U.S., they
need to get their act together even more because as
indicated at the last BOF meeting, board members do not
always accept the information given by ADF&G. He noted each
BOF member is being hammered on by competing fisheries
interests, and their vote is a demonstration of which
contending interest they give the most credence to.
Number 648
JERRY MCCUNE, PRESIDENT, UNITED FISHERMEN OF ALASKA (UFA)
expressed support for the confirmation of Kay Andrew and
opposed the confirmations of Larry Engel and Dick Bower. He
acknowledged being a member of the BOF is not an easy job
and expressed appreciation to the appointees for addressing
one of the most controversial issues in the state. He felt
there must be some commercial fishing expertise on the BOF
and it has been frustrating to see every appointee, who has
any commercial fishing background, eliminated.
MR. MCCUNE stated on Monday, Mr. Bower put the Alaska
commercial fishermen below the nonresident fishermen. He
felt Mr. Bower does not understand the State's Constitution
and the policies of the BOF. According to Mr. Bower, he
(Mr. McCune), as an Alaska commercial fisherman, is below
anyone who comes to the state to fish, including sport
fishermen, commercial fishermen, etc. He said most of the
writings by Mr. Engel pertain to the Cook Inlet fishery.
Mr. McCune questions whether or not Mr. Engel can change his
philosophy indicated in his writings--doing away with
commercial fishing in Cook Inlet. He thought many of Mr.
Engel's writings are damaging to commercial fishing. He
also wondered if Mr. Engel can be open minded.
MARY HELFRICH, KETCHIKAN, testified via teleconference and
expressed support for the confirmation of Kay Andrew. She
felt Ms. Andrew is needed on the BOF. Ms. Andrew has a
wealth of knowledge of the history of Alaska's fisheries and
is fair and openly listens to all testimony. She said Ms.
Andrew is quite capable of weighing testimony and making a
decision. She reminded committee members that the BOF
represents all of Alaska and she feels Ms. Andrew balances
the board.
DAVID BRAY, SECRETARY/TREASURER, UNITED SOUTHEAST ALASKA
GILLNETTERS, testified via teleconference and expressed
support for the confirmation of Kay Andrew. He felt Ms.
Andrew is fair and will not bow to any pressure from various
fishing groups.
TAPE 94-52, SIDE A
Number 000
ROLLO BRAY, KETCHIKAN, testified via teleconference and
expressed support for the confirmation of Kay Andrew. He
stated he has lived in Ketchikan for 55 years and he does
not know of anyone there who is against Ms. Andrew.
AL WICKENS, KETCHIKAN, testified via teleconference and
expressed support for the confirmation of Kay Andrew. He
felt Ms. Andrew is a competent and knowledgeable person,
able to make a tough decision. He said not everyone is
going to receive a favorable vote and if they did, the BOF
would be ineffective and not have the ability to manage.
GREG RICE, KETCHIKAN, testified via teleconference and
expressed support for the confirmation of Kay Andrew. He
stated in watching Ms. Andrew work at the BOF meeting in
Ketchikan, he could see that she is clear thinking,
articulate, and acts conscientiously in making decisions
affecting subsistence, sport, and commercial fishing issues.
Number 023
KEN DUCKETT, KETCHIKAN, testified via teleconference and
expressed support for the confirmation of Kay Andrew. He
recalled that it was stated earlier that somehow district
4/Noyes Island seine fishery and the general Southeast
Alaska fisheries influenced the decision Ms. Andrew made on
Area M. He stressed that is not possible. He said the
gillnetters fish behind the seiners. If Ms. Andrew was
going to make any decision which would somehow be influenced
by the fishery she is in, she would not be supporting a
mixed stock fisheries or the intercept fisheries. Rather,
she would be voting the other way. He felt that Ms. Andrew
reviewed the facts, weighed the evidence and made a decision
she felt was right.
LARRY ENGEL, APPOINTEE, BOARD OF FISHERIES, testified via
teleconference and stated there has been criticism of Kay
Andrew. He felt Ms. Andrew runs a good meeting and has done
a good job. He did not feel she has been hostile to any
individual.
DICK BOWER, APPOINTEE, BOARD OF FISHERIES, testified via
teleconference and agreed with Mr. Engel's comments. He
felt Ms. Andrew did an excellent job presiding over a very
difficult BOF meeting. He stressed he is not seeking a
position on the BOF to represent any special interest and if
confirmed, he will do what he can to do what is in the best
interest of the resource and of the people of the state.
KAY ANDREW, KETCHIKAN, testified via teleconference and
stated she went into the chairmanship of the BOF quite
surprised that she was even considered by her fellow board
members. She has tried to learn very rapidly how to conduct
a meeting. One of things she was told was that she was not
exerting her power as chairman. She did not think being
chairman of the BOF meant having any special privileges,
other than trying to keep the meeting going in an easy
manner. She said if she did direct the BOF in the manner
which Mr. Mitchell testified, then she must be better at it
than what she realized. She stated she polled the BOF
several times trying to get their feelings and never made
any decisions by herself.
MS. ANDREW felt she is being opposed because of her vote on
the chum salmon cap. In all the testimony heard, no one has
mentioned all of the measures the BOF took and on which she
voted for to save chum salmon. She noted it has been stated
that Area M has not shared in the burden, which is not true.
One of the tools given to ADF&G was the authority to
regulate the fishery in Area M and lessen the chum cap.
MS. ANDREW stressed she has always placed her personality
and her life, and raised her children on her integrity and
honesty. She said the easy way out would have been to vote
for the 300,000 chum salmon cap, which would have assured
her of sitting in the BOF chairmanship position. She chose
not to do that because she felt with all of the information
received, all the testimony heard, and the other things
which were done gave the department the authority to
regulate that fishery along with the others intercepting.
Number 140
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON made a MOTION to MOVE the appointees
of the Board of Fisheries, Board of Game, Big Game
Commercial Services Board, Commercial Fisheries Entry
Commission, and Oil and Gas Conservation Commission out of
committee with INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS asked if there were any objections.
Hearing none, the MOTION PASSED.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS announced the committee will meet on
Friday, April 15 at 8;15 a.m. to hear SB 310.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the House
Resources Committee, Chairman Williams adjourned the meeting
at 10:11 a.m.
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