CSSB 41(JUD) - REPORTS BY OUT OF STATE FISHING VESSELS Number 275 TERRY OTNESS, Legislative Assistant to Senator Robin Taylor, introduced CSSB 41(JUD). Sponsor statement: "This legislation would require foreign fishing vessels transiting or lying in state waters to report their catch by species, quantity and the area where harvested. "The bill was introduced at the request of the Ketchikan Trollers Committee in response to the rapid expansion of the fishery off Cape Muzon and Cape Chacon. It has gone from a relatively minor fishery with a dozen or so trollers, to a modern freezer fleet, that is at times in excess of 100 vessels. It will be possible to monitor this fishery because a transit to Canadian harbors is some 30 miles across waters exposed to the ocean -- so the ships often anchor in state waters until their holds are full. "The committee substitute changes the phrase `Foreign fishing vessels' to `unlicensed fishing vessels' and defines an unlicensed fishing vessel as a vessel that is not licensed under AS 16.05.490 - 530. This change eliminates possible confusion with federal statutes which place a different definition on `foreign fishing vessels.' "In a letter to Senator Taylor and Representative Williams, the trollers committee states, `Southeast Alaskan fishermen are suffering irreparable harm at the U.S./Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty due to the inability or willingness of fishery managers in British Columbia to monitor this growing fishery.' The letter continues, `these reporting requirements would result in better harvest information during the season.' "While it would be ideal to have the Board of Fish implement this for the upcoming season, timing considerations preclude this from occurring until next year. The Department of Fish and Game has given this measure a zero fiscal note. I encourage your support of this measure." REPRESENTATIVE BUNDE said there was a problem earlier this spring with scallop fisheries. Will this have any impact on that problem? MR. OTNESS said it would not, to his knowledge. They were an unlicensed vessel, so they may be able to monitor that if they came into state waters. REPRESENTATIVE BUNDE thought the problem was that they stayed outside, and did not come into state waters. CHAIRMAN PORTER recalled that they fished outside, came inside, but since they did not fish inside, they did not have to be licensed inside. REPRESENTATIVE CYNTHIA TOOHEY asked if this has happened with any of the other countries other than Canada; perhaps the Taiwanese? MR. OTNESS said not to his knowledge, but it is possible. REPRESENTATIVE FINKELSTEIN asked if we are certain that in the meantime, the Board of Fish, or Fish and Game could not impose this reporting requirement as an emergency measure or temporary measure for the remainder of this season. MR. OTNESS thought there were existing laws that would preclude them from processing their fish in our state waters, but he had not looked into that. REPRESENTATIVE FINKELSTEIN asked what the chance would be if this went into effect, that this would discourage them from pulling into Alaskan waters. MR. OTNESS said if you looked at the map, the 30 miles transit distance would discourage them from coming into our waters. REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY asked if this would apply to sport fishing vessels. MR. OTNESS did not think so, but he would have to look at the statute. REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY said he really would like to know. MR. OTNESS explained that the map indicated the areas in which the fishing was actually occurring. The idea is for the Department of Fish and Game to be able to accurately obtain information on the type of species caught, and the amount. In order to obtain this information, we need to have the fishing vessels in our jurisdiction. We can do this by requiring them to report to us when they are anchoring or transiting our waters. REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY asked if they are actually going back to Canada to market their fish. MR. OTNESS said yes, they are. CHAIRMAN PORTER pointed out that this would not apply to sport fishing, since the particular statute references are to commercial fishing. REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY felt it was unclear, because it refers to licensed vessels under the particular statute, and sport fishing boats are not licensed under the statute either. He felt the bill should make it very clear that they are NOT addressing sport fishing. REPRESENTATIVE TOOHEY made a motion to move CSSB 41(JUD) out of committee with individual recommendations and zero fiscal notes. Seeing no objection, it was so ordered.