HOUSE BILL NO. 79 "An Act relating to salt water sport fishing operators and salt water sport fishing guides; and providing for an effective date." 1:34:21 PM Co-Chair Merrick OPENED public testimony. DICK ROHRER, SELF, KODIAK (via teleconference), thanked the committee for the opportunity to testify. He remarked on the financing portion of the legislation. He found it interesting there was not a higher fee on nonresidents; there was precedent for it related to big game. He shared that he was a big game and a sport fish guide. He pointed out that a resident license for big game was $850 and a nonresident license was $1,700. The assistant big game license fee was $410 for residents and $820 for nonresidents. He noted the fees were biennial. He pointed out that an annual commercial fishing crew member license fee was $60 for residents and $280 for nonresidents. He considered how to fund the saltwater logbook program and thought it would be appropriate to charge the nonresident operator and guide at least twice the amount of the resident guide license. He was supportive of the license fee to help with the saltwater logbook program. He understood the program's importance. He noted his concern that the license fee for freshwater would be a segue back into a freshwater logbook system, which he opposed. He noted concern with the penalty section where the court may revoke a guide's license if the guide had two violations in a three-year period. He thought that was a severe consequence. He was primarily concerned about the fees. 1:37:52 PM RON CARMON, SELF, KENAI (via teleconference), was concerned with number 4 which required guides to satisfy the rules adopted by the Board of Fish. He thought it should read that guides adopt the rules of the constitution. He thought the commissioner of Department of Fish and Game was dictating over the Board of Fish rules. He remarked that the commissioner could only rule on licensed people. He pointed out that guides and charter boats were not licensed; however, commercial fishery was licensed. He pointed out that current guides and charter boats fished for free and provided almost zero income to the General Fund. He reminded the committee that 6.4 million guides frequented Alaska and took 3 million fish out of the Kenai River and 3 million fish out of the Kasilof River. He stated that catch and release fishing was a blood sport. He highlighted that charter boats fished for free and had taken $44.3 billion in fish over the last 20 years from the Kenai Peninsula. The dip net fisheries took 543 million fish per year from the Kenai Peninsula, which brought zero income to the General Fund. He referenced the money the federal government brought in from marijuana growers. He felt legislators were giving revenue away for free. He had asked the Department of Fish and Game why some guides were licensed, and others were not. He suggested that it was a commerce problem started by Representative Don Young in 1975. He wanted the legislature to change the law to suit Alaska's needs. He thought the Board of Fisheries should be eliminated. Representative Wool clarified that the marijuana tax was paid to the state, not the federal government. 1:43:36 PM BEN MOHR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KENAI RIVER SPORT FISHING ASSOCIATION, SOLDOTNA (via teleconference), supported HB 79 in its original form. He explained that the saltwater logbook program met an obligation for reporting on activities related to the Halibut Treaty and Salmon Treaty. He shared that the data generated and reported was not optional. He relayed that hunters and sport fishermen had long supported the user pays model for fish and game conservation. He stated that accurate information coming into managers and treaty negotiators was essential to making good calls in Alaska's fisheries. As beneficiaries of those management calls and treaty positions, it was fitting for the user to cover the costs. Mr. Mohr thought freshwater issues should remain out of the bill. He stated there was no reason a pike guide in Fairbanks should be paying for a program required for a charter guide in Ketchikan. He stated that establishing guide registration fees under the guise of programs necessary for treaty obligations like the saltwater logbook, looked to be somewhat inappropriate. He suggested that if the legislature wanted to create a new fee for small businesses it should be taken up under separate legislation. He stated that the reporting requirements under the salmon and halibut treaties were unlikely to change and managers would continue to need data. Alaska sport fishing communities could continue being self- supporting. He reiterated his support for the governor's version of the bill. Representative Wool asked if association believed nonresident and resident guiding fees should be different. He asked if a nonresident guide should pay more than a resident guide. Mr. Mohr responded that the guide sector had been looking at the topic on the Kenai River recently. He relayed that the costs for a guide license on the Kenai had changed. In the past there had been a difference in the fees for resident versus nonresident guides; however, the fees were currently the same. He suggested asking parks why the fees were now equal. He suspected the reason had something to do with obligations under the Commerce Clause of the constitution related to operating businesses and where they are based. He noted it was just a guess. 1:46:55 PM Representative Wool asked if Mr. Mohr supported different rates for resident and nonresident guides. Mr. Mohr replied that he had not given the issue much thought. He had given much more thought to the difference on licensing between instate and out-of-state anglers. He noted it was a different question for businesses. 1:47:40 PM Co-Chair Merrick CLOSED public testimony. Co-Chair Merrick indicated amendments were due in her office by the end of Saturday, April 17, 2021. HB 79 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration.