Legislature(2019 - 2020)BUTROVICH 205
03/04/2019 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing: Alaska Board of Game | |
| Presentation: "building Alaska's Blue Economy - Alaska's College of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences" | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
March 4, 2019
3:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Chris Birch, Chair
Senator John Coghill, Vice Chair
Senator Cathy Giessel
Senator Lora Reinbold
Senator Click Bishop
Senator Jesse Kiehl
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Scott Kawasaki
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING:
Alaska Board of Game
Jerry Burnett - Juneau
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
PRESENTATION: "BUILDING ALASKA'S BLUE ECONOMY - ALASKA'S COLLEGE
OF FISHERIES & OCEAN SCIENCES"
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
JERRY BURNETT, Appointee
Alaska Board of Game
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Addressed his appointment to the Alaska
Board of Game.
ROD ARNO, Executive Director
Alaska Outdoor Council
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Mr. Burnett's
appointment to the Alaska Board of Game.
MARK RICHARDS, Executive Director
Resident Hunters of Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Did not provide a recommendation on Mr.
Burnett's appointment to the Alaska Board of Game.
DR. BRAD MORAN, Dean
College of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences
University of Alaska-Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided an overview of the college's value
and return on investment to the state via the presentation,
"Building Alaska's Blue Economy."
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:30:23 PM
CHAIR CHRIS BIRCH called the Senate Resources Standing Committee
meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Present at the call to order were
Senators Coghill, Kiehl, Giessel, and Chair Birch. Senators
Reinbold and Bishop joined the committee meeting shortly
thereafter.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING: Alaska Board of Game
CONFIRMATION HEARING:
Alaska Board of Game
3:31:06 PM
CHAIR BIRCH announced the consideration for the appointment of
Jerry Burnett to the Alaska Board of Game. He said Mr. Burnett
is a new appointee and, if confirmed, his appointment would be
through June 30, 2021.
He detailed that the main role of the Alaska Board of Game is to
conserve and develop Alaska's wildlife resources which includes
establishing open and closed seasons, areas for taking game,
setting bag limits, and regulating methods and means. The board
is also involved in setting policy and direction for the
management of the state's wildlife resources. The board is
charged with making allocative decisions and the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game is responsible for management based
on those same decisions.
3:31:53 PM
JERRY BURNETT, Appointee, Alaska Board of Game, Alaska
Department of Fish and Game, Juneau, Alaska, provided an
overview of his curriculum vitae as follows:
• Alaska Department of Revenue:
o Deputy commissioner,
o August 2008-September 2011, and December 2014-December
2017.
• Statewide information technology officer:
o April 2014-December 2014.
• Alaska Department of Revenue:
o Administrative director and legislative liaison,
o December 2004-August 2008, and September 2011-April
2014.
• Alaska Department of Corrections:
o Administrative director,
o January 2003-2004.
• Alaska Legislature:
o Legislative staff,
o January 1990-December 2002.
• University of Alaska Southeast:
o Adjunct professor of business administration,
o 1990-2002.
• Alaska Outdoor Council
o Southeast vice president in 2000,
o President in 2002-2003.
• Territorial Sportsmen:
o Served many years on the board of directors including
four years as the president.
He said over the past 20 years he has been deeply involved with
the issues that are near and dear to hunters and anglers in
Alaska, noting that he has authored or coauthored comments and
proposals to the boards of Fish and Game, sometimes working
through the local Fish and Game Advisory Committee process. He
added that he has authored and coauthored comments on federal
and state legislation and proposed regulations concerning access
to federal lands, the state's right to manage its resources, and
on a variety of land-use proposals. He noted that in his
previous state positions he has served on several boards and
that has provided him with an appreciation of the process for
hearing and considering public comments and testimony before
making decisions and adopting regulations.
MR. BURNETT summarized as follows:
Section 8 of the Alaska Constitution provides in part
that wherever occurring in their natural state, fish,
wildlife, and waters are reserved to the people for
common use; and that fish, forest, wildlife,
grasslands, and all other replenishable resources
belong to the state shall be utilized, developed, and
maintained on a sustained-yield principle subject to
preferences on beneficial uses.
In accordance with the statutory framework developed
by the Legislature and codified in Title 16, it is the
role of the Board of Game to consider the science
developed by the Department of Fish and Game, and the
input from the public, to set regulations, seasons,
and bag limits that will ensure Alaska's wildlife
resources are utilized on the sustained yield
principle.
He opined that he is well qualified to be a part of the Board of
Game process as a board member.
3:35:56 PM
SENATOR GIESSEL asked him to define "maximum benefit" in terms
of allocation when talking about wildlife.
MR. BURNETT answered that the legislature has many definitions,
but each game population starts with the subsistence benefit in
almost all areas of the state. The maximum benefit of game is
preserving the harvestable surplus that can be used for human
consumption, but there are a number of different uses that are
dependent on location and how easily people can access the game
populations, in some cases the maximum benefit for a population
may have to do with professional-guided hunts. Maximum benefit
is complicated and that is why public comment is important to
understand various uses in communities by each user group.
SENATOR GIESSEL asked how many years it has been since a
Southeast member has been appointed to the Alaska Board of Game.
MR. BURNETT answered that he was not sure.
SENATOR BISHOP asked how he feels about cow moose hunts.
MR. BURNETT answered that he did not have a feeling on specific
antlerless hunts because Board of Game authorization for keeping
a game's population balanced in an area depends on habitat
degradation due to a rapidly growing population as well as the
game's benefit as food.
3:38:56 PM
SENATOR BISHOP noted Mr. Burnett's statement regarding input
from the public to set regulations. He said he hoped that Mr.
Burnett would pay attention and listen to the public. He pointed
out that there are more hunters in the field than there are
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) people in the field.
He opined that while ADF&G may have the science, there are a lot
of people in the field that keep good field notes, not anecdotal
but good field notes.
MR. BURNETT replied that he will certainly listen to the public.
SENATOR REINBOLD addressed a public safety concern from car
encounters and accidents caused by moose as well as bears being
attracted into urban areas. She opined that ADF&G would rather
manage the public than the wildlife. She asked how he will
manage wildlife and public safety in heavy user areas.
MR. BURNETT said his personal feeling is that a person is much
more valuable than any game animal and he is not opposed to
managing a population for additional public safety.
SENATOR REINBOLD said there are a lot of people that are
concerned about the number of brown and black bears in her
community. She opined that game management was done far
differently in the past and a massive transition occurred in the
1990s that caused the incredible numbers of game. She asked
that, people be kept in the center to ensure public safety.
3:42:16 PM
SENATOR KIEHL remarked that it has been too many years since
someone from Southeast Alaska was appointed to the Board of
Game.
SENATOR KIEHL addressed the board's use of advisory committees
around the state. He opined that many Alaskans put a lot of
value into advisory committees, noting that the committees cost
a fair amount of money. He asked Mr. Burnett what he viewed as
the best way to interact, consolidate, or not to interact with
the committees.
MR. BURNETT answered that the state has 84 advisory committees
in different regions. He explained that proposals go out to the
advisory committees and the department, and then the proposals
come back to the board for decisions. He said the advisory
committees are expensive, but important. He noted that game
management is self-sustaining, paid for by hunting license fees.
He disclosed that there are proposals for a joint Fish and Game
Board meeting in March to address changes to some of the
advisory committees to make it more convenient for people to get
together in a community.
3:44:17 PM
CHAIR BIRCH opened public testimony.
3:44:50 PM
ROD ARNO, Executive Director, Alaska Outdoor Council, Palmer,
Alaska, testified in support of Mr. Burnett's appointment to the
Alaska Board of Game. He said Mr. Burnett is knowledgeable about
the Board of Game process which is very important.
3:46:21 PM
MARK RICHARDS, Executive Director, Resident Hunters of Alaska
(RHAK), Fairbanks, Alaska, did not provide a recommendation on
Mr. Burnett's appointment. He said he looks forward to meeting
Mr. Burnett to address questions regarding Article 8 of the
Alaska Constitution regarding maximum benefit. He disclosed that
RHAK also recommended David Brown from Wrangel, noting that he
served on the board from 2014 to 2017.
3:47:52 PM
CHAIR BIRCH closed public testimony.
3:48:14 PM
CHAIR BIRCH stated that in accordance with AS 39.05.080, the
Senate Resources Committee reviewed the following and recommends
the appointment be forwarded to a joint session for
consideration:
Board Member of the Alaska Board of Game
Jerry Burnett - Juneau.
CHAIR BIRCH reminded members that this does not reflect an
intent by any of the members to vote for or against the
confirmation of the individual during any further sessions.
3:48:50 PM
At ease.
^PRESENTATION: "Building Alaska's Blue Economy - Alaska's
College of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences"
PRESENTATION: "Building Alaska's Blue Economy - Alaska's College
of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences"
3:49:50 PM
CHAIR BIRCH called the committee back to order. He announced
that the committee would hear from the University of Alaska-
Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS) to
provide its perspective of how the university system plays a key
research and workforce development role in Alaska's marine
industries.
3:50:16 PM
DR. BRAD MORAN, Dean, College of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences,
University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, explained
that he wanted to use the title of his presentation, "Building
Alaska's Blue Economy," to give the main message of the value of
CFOS and the return on investment of CFOS to Alaska.
He addressed "Statewide CFOS presence" as follows:
• CFOS is a statewide entity.
• CFOS has 12 locations, 11 locations are in coastal
communities.
• CFOS is the largest research and academic unit in Alaska
with geographic diversity with a large budget.
• CFOS is next in line after the Geophysical Institute with a
fiscal budget of $46 million, FY2018, in expenditures which
are almost entirely in Alaska.
• CFOS received $5.9 million investment, FY2018, from the
state's general fund with an output of $46 million in
expenditures, an 8:1 return on investment.
• CFOS committed $22.8 million in research, almost entirely
federal funds.
• CFOS was awarded $11.3 million from a national science
foundation to operate the research vessel (R/V) Sikuliaq.
DR. MORAN addressed CFOS "Research and economic drivers" via
facilities and centers as follows:
• Alaska Sea Grant Program:
o Partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA).
o Housed within CFOS.
o Director reports to Dr. Moran.
• Coastal Marine Institute.
• Institute of Marine Science.
• Kasitsna Bay Laboratory.
• Kodiak Seafood & Marine Science Center.
• Lena Point Fisheries Facility.
• Ocean Acidification Research Center:
o Growing concern, particularly in high latitude, cold
waters such as the offshore of Alaska.
• Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center.
• Rasmuson Fisheries Research Center.
• R/V Sikuliaq and Seward Marine Center.
He said CFOS's facilities and centers are a significant asset
within the college that deals with the fisheries, marine
biology, and oceanographic challenges that the state faces in a
rapidly changing environmental system. The assets have reach and
expertise across the state in the noted areas.
3:53:18 PM
SENATOR COGHILL explained that because of ocean acidification,
fish migration, and what the state does in high seas fisheries,
Alaska ends up working with British Columbia, Hawaii, Korea, and
Japan on the state's sciences. He asked if he can explain what
CFOS is doing to work with those governing entities. He noted
that Dr. Moran's presentation shows federal input, but opined
that Alaska sees itself, CFOS too, as the guardians of the north
Pacific and Arctic. However, Alaska must share the area with the
other entities. He asked if the $46 million is similar to what
other states are doing and whether Alaska has good
collaboration.
DR. MORAN answered that CFOS is a resource to the state that
provides unbiased information, education, and workforce training
around fisheries, ocean, and marine biology. CFOS is also a
strong resource for its colleagues in other states and countries
such as British Columbia, Canada. He emphasized that CFOS has a
very competitive and strong program that ranks in the top five.
He said the fact that CFOS operates the research vessel (R/V)
Sikuliaq puts it on par or more with entities such as the state
of Washington, which also operates a global class vessel.
SENATOR COGHILL noted a recent meeting with the Counsel General
of Japan and pointed out that Japan is one of Alaska's largest
seafood customers in addition to China and Korea. He mentioned
Alaska's seafood production base and asked if CFOS competes or
complements for its federal research dollars in comparison to
other north Pacific areas.
3:55:41 PM
DR. MORAN answered that NOAA is the primary funder that uses an
open competition for proposals that CFOS and any organization in
the U.S. can compete for. He said CFOS interacts regularly with
many state, national, and international entities as well. He
explained that the state's investment to leverage the federal
dollars is far reaching. He asserted that CFOS is absolutely
competitive with other states, one metric being the return on
investment for Alaska.
SENATOR COGHILL explained that his questioning pertains to what
the state can or cannot control from a fisheries perspective and
CFOS's role in reaching out to national and international
organizations.
DR. MORAN replied that Alaska and CFOS are national and
international leaders in fisheries. He said CFOS collaborates
with faculty in other institutions, but CFOS is competitive as
well.
SENATOR COGHILL said he wanted Dr. Moran to say out loud that
Alaska and CFOS are world renowned, a position that the state
does not want to give up.
DR. MORAN concurred. He said CFOS is very proud of what it has
accomplished with an outstanding fisheries department.
3:58:27 PM
He noted that CFOS has a number of industry partnerships. For
example, the cooperative with the at-sea processors:
• At-sea processor cooperative:
o Trident Seafoods;
o Aleutian Spray Fisheries, Incorporated;
o American Seafoods Company;
o Glacier Fish Company.
• Largest philanthropic donor to the University of Alaska in
marine sciences.
• Through 2019 approximately $16 million was donated that
supports:
o Students,
o Research,
o Workforce training,
o Ted Stevens Chair in Marine Policy.
• Excellent example of industry supporting and working hand-
in-hand with CFOS around fisheries.
DR. MORAN addressed CFOS's "Federal agency partnerships" as
follows:
• Alaska Sea Grant partnership:
o Excellent example of a solid partnership with NOAA.
o Statewide entity,
o $1.5 million budget with NOAA with a 50-percent match
requirement.
o CFOS supports Sea Grant, the college's primary
outreach arm to coastal communities.
• Department of Interior-Bureau of Ocean Energy Management:
o Doubled their input into the Coastal Marine Institute
from $500,000 to $1 million.
o Virtual institute, not a bricks-and-mortar.
o CFOS uses the investment to primarily support student
and faculty research.
He explained that the partnerships leverage funding to support
research and Alaska's coastal communities.
4:00:23 PM
He addressed "Innovation and commercialization" as follows:
• Blue Evolution leasing space at Kodiak to process kelp for
market:
o Kodiak Seafood Marine Science Center.
o Make seafood products like salsa and penne made from
kelp.
o Two years in operation.
o Example of CFOS working with a private corporation.
o Kelp is a field or mariculture that is an opportunity
for Alaska.
• Blue Pipeline Incubator at Seward fostering ocean business
and workforce:
o Just started within the last few months.
o External support funding from the City of Seward as
well as other support lines.
o Similar to a research park or "incubator" for
technology innovation.
• MARINER ARPA-E award to develop sugar kelp for market:
o Award from the U.S. Department of Energy.
o CFOS works closely with the University of Alaska-
Southeast.
o Partners in the Lower 48.
o Sugar kelp has a lot of upside potential.
• Pet treats from fish skins developed at Kodiak:
o CFOS faculty member has developed commercializable pet
treats from fish skins.
DR. MORAN explained that much of the research that CFOS does is
basic research, hypothesis testing, and applied-side research.
4:02:38 PM
He addressed "Mariculture facilities, faculty and research" as
follows:
• Facilities:
o Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center:
square4 Seafood research and development facility.
o Kasitsna Bay Laboratory:
square4 Research on kelp and invertebrate ecology.
square4 Partnership with NOAA.
o Seward Marine Center:
square4 Research on mariculture studies.
o Lena Point:
square4 CFOS research and teaching facility in Southeast
Alaska.
• Active Mariculture Research:
o MARINER Program:
square4 U.S. Department of Energy ARPA-E Phase I:
• Proposing Phase II with the University of
Alaska-Southeast.
o Numerous faculty and students working on kelp, crabs,
and ocean acidification impacting mariculture.
He addressed Alaska's mariculture opportunity, noting that the
state has more coastline than the rest of the Lower 48 combined.
He emphasized that there is a tremendous upside potential for
non-fin-fish, fin-fish aquaculture, including kelp and
shellfish. He said there are some numerics put around the
potential for Alaska in the mariculture space, anywhere from
$100 million to you pick. The mariculture research is an
opportunity, particularly for coastal subsistence communities to
engage in a new business venture.
4:03:58 PM
DR. MORAN addressed the "R/V Sikuliaq" as follows:
• Largest federal research asset in Alaska that CFOS
operates.
• Only ice capable vessel with the ability to go through 2.5
feet of ice at 2 knots. The vessel is not an icebreaker.
• R/V Sikuliaq is a $200 million vessel, owned by the
National Science Foundation (NSF).
• March 2014-2018, CFOS has an operating contract through a
cooperative agreement with NSF.
• In 2018, CFOS was successful with renewing its operating
contract through 2023 for $33 million:
o Vessel with be competed nationally for the next
contract in 2023.
o CFOS will have to write a proposal to reup an
operating contract that will also require:
square4 Good shoreside facilities,
square4 Good operations.
• R/V Sikuliaq is paid for by NSF, CFOS does not pay to
operate the vessel.
• CFOS shows NSF that it means business by providing support
for "ship days" by paying crew, food, and fuel as well as
paying for:
o Half of the salary for CFOS's financial manager.
o Half-time liaison person to interact with subsistence
communities.
o All the salary cost for the vessel's port captain
based in Seward.
o Three quarters of the cost for the vessel's marine
superintendent to operate and function in the Seward
marine center.
• R/V Sikuliaq is a significant financial investment coming
back to Alaska and the university:
o Annual indirect cost recovery for the vessel is $1
million to CFOS, a significant amount of revenue.
DR. MORAN set forth that the R/V Sikuliaq is an "absolute gem"
for the State of Alaska, likened to, a gift that keeps on
giving. The vessel raises the bar for the university in a
significant way in ocean science research. He admitted that the
R/V Sikuliaq is one of the reasons he moved to Alaska.
4:06:38 PM
CHAIR BIRCH noted that U.S. Senators Murkowski and Sullivan
announced that the U.S. Coast Guard has significant investments
in infrastructure facilities including cutters and an icebreaker
vessel. He asked if the U.S. Coast Guard works with the NSF.
DR. MORAN answered that U.S. Coast Guard is run under the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, an agency whose mission is to
protect the country's coast. The R/V Sikuliaq is for enabling
discovery and research. He noted that the R/V Sikuliaq can be
contracted both nationally and internationally. For example, the
Office of Naval Research has used the vessel. The R/V Sikuliaq
can support a wide range of capabilities. Internationally the
vessel can be used for methane hydrate exploration as well as
oil and gas work. The vessel day rate is $50,000.
CHAIR BIRCH asked where the R/V Sikuliaq primarily sails in
state waters.
DR. MORAN answered that the vessel goes where investigators
propose to do research. The R/V Sikuliaq is a global class
vessel that can go anywhere. The only place the vessel cannot go
is ocean ice conditions that is greater than 2.5 feet thick.
4:09:16 PM
SENATOR KIEHL asked how much the NSF awards the university each
year to operate and maintain the R/V Sikuliaq.
DR. MORAN replied approximately $11 million.
SENATOR KIEHL asked him to explain the $50,000 daily rate.
DR. MORAN explained that CFOS operates the vessel optimally, but
the day rate varies based on how many days the vessel is used.
He explained that the $11 million NSF award is approximately
what the agency believes what is needed for operation. The award
is not for the entire year. He noted that the U.S. Navy is being
billed $2.3 million for the vessel's use, which is additional
revenue on top of cooperative agreement. He disclosed that
Canada chartered the vessel for 3 weeks and the European Union
(EU) put $500,000 toward a 7-day charter. He offered to submit
the vessel's operational data to committee members.
DR. MORAN addressed examples of the value that CFOS brings to
understanding the ecosystem function in the coastal and ocean
waters. One example is the Northern Gulf of Alaska Long-Term
Ecosystem Research Program (NGA LTER) and detailed as follows:
• Started in 2018.
• Funded by NSF.
• The research award is exceptionally hard to get.
• Alaska has four LTERs.
• R/V Sikuliaq will enable the NGA LTER program greatly.
He addressed a map and noted that 45 years of research has
occurred along the Gulf of Alaska Mooring (GAK1) line, primarily
with a 20-year time series. GAK1 set the stage for the expansion
of the program to other areas in the Gulf of Alaska, noting that
$2.5 million in research and ship time is spent annually. He
said the goal is ultimately to understand changes in the
ecosystem that will affect commercial fisheries. The NGA LTER
will go at least 10 years.
SENATOR BISHOP asked if the University of Alaska-Fairbanks
operates the Toolik Field Station north of Atigun Pass.
DR. MORAN answered yes. He explained that the station is a long-
term ecosystem research station.
4:12:15 PM
He addressed the European Union Research Icebreaker Consortium
(ARICE). He asserted that on the international stage, CFOS is
engaged and known internationally. He explained that ARICE is
unique collaboration that came up a couple of years ago. He
detailed ARICE vessels as follows:
• PRV Polarstern, Germany;
• IB Oden, Sweden;
• R/V Kronprins Haakon, Norway;
• RRS Sir David Attenborough, United Kingdom;
• CCGS Amundsen, Canada;
• R/V Sikuliaq, United States of America.
He explained that the R/V Sikuliaq is involved with all of the
major players that are polar icebreaker operators. He noted that
the Sikuliaq is the only non-icebreaker vessel. He disclosed
that CFOS receives funding from the "EU Blue Growth Strategy of
the Horizon 2020 Initiative" for the consortium collaboration,
emphasizing that being involved is difficult to attain.
DR. MORAN addressed "Fisheries graduates in Alaska's economy" as
follows:
• Alaska Commercial Fisheries:
o Yield over 60 percent of the nation's fishery
landings.
o Over $4 billion wholesale value.
o Alaska's largest private employer:
square4 60,000 workers.
• Sport Fisheries/Subsistence:
o Anglers spend $1 billion on trip-related expenditures,
supporting 16,000 jobs in Alaska.
o Important customary and traditional uses of fishery
resources.
He noted that 47 percent of CFOS faculty are women. Half of the
graduate students from CFOS continue to work in Alaska, many in
the Department of Fish and Game, and NOAA.
4:14:42 PM
He addressed "University of Alaska-Fairbanks Blue MBA" as
follows:
• CFOS has worked with the School of Management to create an
online MBA program called "Blue MBA."
• Only online MBA program in the U.S. or the world that
provides business solutions for a changing Arctic in:
o Mariculture,
o Fisheries,
o Shipping,
o Ocean observing in forecasting.
He said CFOS is excited about the Blue MBA program, one of two
professional master's degrees offered that allows working
professionals throughout the world to advance their careers
through a master's degree.
He addressed "Beaufort Sea fish monitoring" as follows:
• Goal:
o As part of their commitment to environmental and
social responsibility, since 1985 Hilcorp Energy has
funded surveys of nearshore fishes in the Beaufort Sea
for potential impacts of oil and gas development.
• Methods:
o Fyke nets sampled daily from late June to early
September.
o Consideration for funding winter sampling because
Arctic cod spawns in the winter.
• Results:
o Ongoing research is focusing on climate effects on
fish communities, bioenergetics, and growth.
DR. MORAN emphasized that the Beaufort Sea monitoring is an
example of CFOS being a resource to the state as well as working
with industry.
4:17:02 PM
He addressed research on "Whale depredation on longline
fisheries" as follows:
• Problems:
o Management:
square4 Inaccurate Stocks Assessments.
o Fishermen:
square4 Reduced Catches,
square4 Increased Costs.
o Whales:
square4 Risk of Entanglement,
square4 Behavior Change.
• Results:
o 39-73 percent reduction in survey catches;
o 35-70 percent reduction in commercial catches of
halibut, sablefish and Greenland turbot.
• Outcomes:
o Adjustments to stock assessments:
square4 Pot gear now allowed in Gulf of Alaska.
He addressed "Declines in size of Pacific halibut" as follows:
• Problem:
o Average weight of age-20 halibut declined from 120
lbs. in 1988 to 45 lbs. in 2015.
o Population stock also declined.
• Methods:
o Cumulative effects of size-selective fishing and
harvest rates evaluated by simulation models.
• Results:
o High harvest rates and size-selective fishing explains
30-65 percent of the decline in the Gulf of Alaska.
• Outcome:
o International Pacific Halibut Commission revised stock
assessment model.
• Funding:
o Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center
(PCCRC).
o North Pacific Research Board (NPRB).
• Collaborators:
o Pacific Halibut Research and Stock Management (IPHC).
DR. MORAN said halibut fisheries are critical to the state and
the decline is significant, noting that CFOS is actively working
on the halibut fisheries.
4:18:17 PM
He addressed "Analysis of tanner crab size limit" as follows:
• Problem:
o Many tanner crab never grow to legal size, resulting
in excessive discards and waste.
• Approach:
o Computer model analysis of catch, bycatch, and fishery
economics.
• Results:
o Lower size limit reduces discard mortality.
o Produces higher yields and revenues, and lower fishing
costs.
• Outcome:
o Board of Fisheries approved proposal.
o Reduce size limit, improve profitability of the tanner
crab fishery.
He said the outcome for the tanner crab size limit is a result
of direct research by CFOS.
He addressed "Improved hatchery release of salmon" based on a
study by Dr. Anne Beaudreau and Douglas Duncan regarding, "How
are nearshore predators responding to hatchery released salmon?"
as follows:
• Preliminary Results:
o Sculpin and Dolly Varden consume juvenile salmon in
areas near hatchery release sites.
o Hatchery salmon may be less vulnerable to predators:
square4 Released at a large size.
• Application:
o Optimize hatchery strategies to improve survival.
o Better understand predation in early marine survival
of juvenile salmon.
DR. MORAN detailed that the study was done by the CFOS facility
at Lena Point in Juneau. CFOS worked with the Douglas Island
Pink and Chum, Inc. (DIPAC) hatchery to optimize their
strategies to ensure the maximum sustainability of wild-caught
with hatchery fisheries.
SENATOR BISHOP asked what the impact of low rainfall in
Southeast Alaska has had on area hatcheries, particularly DIPAC,
and what is the contingency plan for releasing juvenile fish if
the low rainfall trend continues.
DR. MORAN replied that he would follow up with some expert
information. He added that Senator Bishop's question is a
perfect example where CFOS can be a resource for an answer. He
opined that the prediction on the impact from low rainfall will
be difficult on what might happen in the future, but the topic
is an active area of research by CFOS faculty.
4:20:12 PM
He addressed "Research of fishery management: decline of Chinook
salmon abundance and size, and interactions of hatchery and wild
fish." He detailed that a CFOS researcher is using innovative
Global Positioning System (GPS) tagging on Chinook salmon in the
Gulf of Alaska to monitor activity, noting an impact was found
from salmon shark predation, something that was not previously
known. He explained salmon with the GPS tags were
serendipitously eaten by the salmon sharks. Salmon shark
research is being funded by PCCRC.
He explained that the study on interaction of hatchery and wild
fish is a critical question on optimizing wild runs. The
different run timing and the overlap on spawning grounds is an
area of active research.
He addressed "Solutions across the university" as follows:
• Shark research for biomedical advances:
o University of Alaska (UA) research on shark jaws
develops artificial cartilage implant for discs, knee
meniscus, and prosthetic linings.
o Use for military combat injuries and veterans.
• Expertise for policymakers and coastal communities:
o UA Fisheries economists inform agencies and resource
managers:
square4 Example: North Pacific Fisheries Management
Council.
o Researchers study range of topics from global salmon
markets, subsistence, and the Arctic.
o Alaska Sea Grant Program is a resource for fishermen,
public, and coastal economies.
4:22:30 PM
DR. MORAN summarized his presentation by referencing an image of
a CFOS buoy that is monitoring ocean acidification in one of
Alaska's coastal embayments. He said he hoped that his overview
left committee members with the following impressions on CFOS:
• Great value to the state.
• Good return on investment.
• Operates major facilities of international repute.
• Students are working in Alaska.
• Drives forward the "Alaska Blue Economy."
CHAIR BIRCH noted that the R/V Sikuliaq will be in Seward during
the upcoming summer months.
DR. MORAN answered yes. He said the R/V Sikuliaq will be in
Seward the third week of May and the ship will be available for
committee members to tour.
SENATOR COGHILL asked if CFOS monitors debris on Alaska's
coastline from other countries and how the debris affects
fisheries.
DR. MORAN answered that CFOS is engaged in marine debris and can
provide additional information. He disclosed that CFOS is not
measuring the impacts from Fukushima.
SENATOR COGHILL replied that he does not expect Fukushima
monitoring, but that there was a big impact. He added that there
has been debris from earthquakes in Indonesia as well.
DR. MORAN disclosed that prior to his career with CFOS, he did
measure Fukushima radioactivity coming to the coast of North
America. He said there is no threat to Alaska from the Fukushima
incident.
CHAIR BIRCH thanked Dr. Moran for the CFOS presentation.
4:24:58 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Birch adjourned the Senate Resources Standing Committee
meeting at 4:24 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Governor's Appointee Board of Game Burnett.pdf |
SRES 3/4/2019 3:30:00 PM |
|
| UA Fisheries & Ocean Sciences 3.4.19.pdf |
SRES 3/4/2019 3:30:00 PM |
|
| BOG Appointee RHAK Email 3.4.19.pdf |
SRES 3/4/2019 3:30:00 PM |