HJR 55 - ALLOCATION OF POLLOCK AND PACIFIC COD Number 0131 CHAIRMAN AUSTERMAN announced the next order of business to be HJR 55, relating to the allocation of pollock and Pacific cod. Number 0138 REPRESENTATIVE HODGINS made a motion to move HJR 55 out of committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note. Number 0140 REPRESENTATIVE IVAN objected. Number 0153 REPRESENTATIVE GENE KUBINA stated that he wanted to say something for the record. He stated that it first seemed like a cut and dry answer, that we would want to do everything possible to support the onshore based processors because one would think that they are hiring more Alaskans and paying more taxes. However, he stated that the offshore sector is providing more of a benefit to Alaska then they have, as they are now hiring more Alaskans and helping to diversify the salmon industry. He explained that he is going to vote to move the bill out because he believes there has been politics played. He stated that he has always said that the legislature should not be involved in allocation issues, but he believed that it was politics that turned over a decision by the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council (NPFMC) not once but twice, on the allocation issue. He stated that by supporting HJR 55, he is being consistent regarding his view on allocation issues, as it is not right for Washington D.C. to change decisions by the council either. He added that the onshore sector needs to think about the issue, he is not sure how much of that is American owned. He suggested the onshore sector looked into their abilities to diversify as well. Number 0195 REPRESENTATIVE IVAN stated that his objection to moving HJR 55 is because it is an allocation debate that belongs to the NPFMC. Also because the offshore sector is partnered with the Community Development Quota (CDQ) groups and has provided more jobs and higher wages for the communities. He stated that his objection is inorder to support the CDQ groups that he represents. Number 0211 REPRESENTATIVE OGAN stated that he agreed that it was not a cut and dry issue. He said "there is going to be some Alaskans that win and some that lose in this and if there is going to be some Alaskans that lose, let the feds to it to us like they do it to us on everything else, instead of doing it to ourselves." Number 0224 CHAIRMAN AUSTERMAN stated that it is a cut and dry situation in his mind, he would like to get 100 percent of the processing done onshore, to build the tax base and economic base of the state of Alaska. Number 0242 REPRESENTATIVE OGAN stated that he did not think this would have a tremendous effect on what is going to happen but he would hope that if more fish are allocated onshore they will give deference to constituents of Representative Ivan. Number 0258 CHAIRMAN AUSTERMAN stated that wanted to make another comment. He disagreed that the decision should be made by the NPFMC. He stated that the allocation issues that have gone before the government appointed Board of Fisheries and Board of Game should stay out of the Legislature but the NPFMC's interests are separate from what the state of Alaska's issues are and, at times, interests are. Individual Fish Quotas (IFQ) are an example of why the state of Alaska should have been a lot more involved in that issue as that resource was given away. He stated that is important for the legislature to be involved in what happens with the NPFMC. Number 0278 CHAIRMAN AUSTERMAN called for a roll call vote. Representative Hodgins, Kubina and Austerman voted in favor of HJR 55. Representative Ogan and Ivan voted against HJR 55. HJR 55 moved out of the House Special Committee on Fisheries.