HB 186-SPORT FISHING GUIDE RECORDS 1:04:54 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 186, "An Act relating to sharing with certain federal agencies records required of sport fishing guides." 1:05:12 PM TOM WRIGHT, Staff, Representative John Harris, Alaska State Legislature, explained that HB 186 authorizes the department to release records required of sport fishing guides to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). He expressed hope that this would allow NOAA and NMFS to make better decisions regarding allocation and law enforcement. 1:06:22 PM DOUGLAS VINCENT-LANG, Special Projects Coordinator, Division of Sport Fish, Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G), informed the committee that when the department originally addressed guide licensing and business licensing in the sport fish guide industry, there was agreement to make the information confidential. That agreement of confidentiality was made because the logbook contained the client lists of the sport fishing businesses. He said that there was never the intent to not allow full enforcement of sport fish guiding around the state. An example of that recently arose in the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC). In that case, the inability to share logbook information with NMFS enforcement eliminated the preferred alternative tool of both the sport fishing charter industry and NPFMC, in terms of regulating the fishery to obtain the guideline harvest level. Since the information couldn't be shared, the federal program would have to institute its own marine logbook program and the charter vessel operators would have to have two logbooks onboard. He related that even amending the statute as suggested in HB 186, the information would have to remain confidential unless there's a violation and the matter made it into the court system. Under the court system, the information pertaining to the violation would be public. Therefore, this legislation would merely allow sharing of confidential information with NMFS enforcement and the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) with the understanding that they would keep it confidential except for the enforcement of fishing regulations in the state. 1:09:17 PM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON recalled that the original concern was that the information remain confidential, which the committee has been ensured is the case with this legislation. Representative Seaton said that he's comfortable with [CSHB 186(FSH)]. 1:09:49 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO related his understanding that Representatives Wilson and Edgmon agree with Representative Seaton's statement. CO-CHAIR JOHNSON noted his agreement with this legislation. CO-CHAIR GATTO then noted that the legislation is supported by the Southeast Alaska Fisherman's Alliance. 1:10:42 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO, upon determining that no one else wished to testify, [announced that public testimony was closed]. 1:10:52 PM CO-CHAIR JOHNSON moved to report CSHB 186(FSH) out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal notes. There being no objection, it was so ordered.