HB 295-SALMON HATCHERY PERMITS  1:27:09 PM CHAIR MCKAY announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 295 "An Act relating to salmon hatchery permits; and authorizing the sale of salmon to permitted persons for stocking lakes." [Before the committee was CSHB 295(FSH).] 1:28:17 PM DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Commissioner, Department of Fish & Game, presented CSHB 295(FSH) on behalf of the bill sponsor, House Rules by request of the governor. He said that state hatcheries are paid for by sport angler dollars, and that they typically use a stocking plan to determine which lakes to stock. He said that this bill would allow private, nonprofit hatchery owners the option to sell fish. He said to reduce the potential to impact the wild fish populations, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) would use sterile stocked fish. He said that it is important to note that this bill allows for the sale of fish, and that it is not a mandate for private nonprofit hatchery owners to sell their fish. He mentioned that during the Coronavirus crisis, Alaskans used stock fish lakes as places to get their food. 1:31:55 PM JOE FELKL, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Commissioner, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, on behalf of the bill sponsor, House Rules by request of the governor, gave a sectional analysis of CSHB 295(FSH) and a summary of changes from the original bill version to [CSHB 295(FSH)]. Mr. Felkl began with the sectional analysis for CSHB 295(FSH) [included in the committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Section 1: adds a new subsection to the statute for salmon hatchery permit conditions clarifying that nothing in a permit prohibits the sale of salmon for the purposes of stocking lakes in the state to a private person or entity that receives a Fish Transport Permit under AS 16.05.251. Section 2: amends AS 16.10.440(b) to insert the word "wild." MR. FELKL continued to the summary of changes [included in the committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Section 1: corrects a drafting error replacing an incorrect citation (AS 16.05.671) with the correct statutory authority for Fish Transport Permits (AS 16.05.251). This section has also been redrafted for clarity, specifying sale of hatchery-produced salmon. This change is stylistic and does not change the meaning of the language. Section 2: new section that amends AS 16.10.440(b) to insert the word "wild." Inserting the word "wild" clarifies the Commissioner of Fish and Game's authority is permitting the hatchery operation, and the Board of Fisheries' (Board) authority is allocation of the common property resource. Adding the word "wild" also conforms salmon hatchery permit statutes with the more recently enabled shellfish enhancement statutes (see AS 16.12.050(b)), which already include the word "wild" regarding the Board's authority to amend a permit. 1:33:37 PM REPRESENTATIVE MEARS asked Commissioner Vincent-Lang to elaborate on the permit process. MR. VINCENT-LANG said that there are a variety of processes in place already, that ADF&G looks at many things, including river flows, location, and water drainage, when deciding which lakes to stock. 1:34:55 PM FLIP PRYOR, Section Chief, Division of Commercial Fisheries, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, on behalf of the bill sponsor, House Rules by request of the governor, explained specifics regarding the permitting process, such as pathology, genetic, and biology reviews. MR. FELKL added that there are things in the bill packet that talk about relevant regulations for fish transport permits. 1:36:00 PM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked what the goal of this bill is. MR. PRYOR answered that currently, private nonprofit hatcheries can only sell eggs to other private nonprofit hatcheries, and that this bill allows them to sell eggs to the public. 1:37:29 PM MR. VINCENT-LANG added that in essence, what is occurring is a demand that is not being met. He said that as part of the permitting process, there is a report that must be submitted on how successful a program might be. He said there is an evaluation program coming forward, and that CSHB 295 (FSH) utilizes existing structure to move this issue. [HB 295 was held over.] 1:39:04 PM The committee took an at-ease from 1:39 p.m. to 1:41 p.m.