SB 205-CHINOOK RESEARCH & RESTORATION ENDOWMENT  3:59:30 PM CO-CHAIR WAGONER announced SB 205 to be up for consideration [CSSB 205(RES), labeled 27-LS1312\D, was before the committee]. 4:00:02 PM DAVE SCOTT, staff to Senator Donald Olson, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of SB 205, said he was available for questions. 4:01:17 PM TIM SMITH, President, Norton Sound Bering Strait Regional Aquaculture Association, Nome, AK, supported SB 205. He said something is really wrong with King salmon statewide and particularly in western Alaska. In Norton Sound, the Pilgrim River had 44 fish; last year was the same. For all practical purposes that run is extinct. Another King salmon run on Boston Creek is also going extinct. The problem is they don't know why; there is a lot of speculation and a lot of possible factors, but they won't know why until research efforts are stepped up. This bill is a good way to do it. He closed saying it would be "a darned shame" if we lose our Chinook runs anywhere. He started commercial fishing on the Yukon River in 1975 and he never believed it would come to this. 4:04:03 PM ART NELSON, Policy and Outreach Director, Bering Sea Fishermen's' Association, Anchorage, AK, supported SB 205. He said this organization has worked to develop sustainable Bering Sea and western Alaska fishery resources. He also was chair of the Steering Committee, Arctic Yukon Kuskokwim (AYK) Sustainable Salmon Initiative, a collaborative research effort involving a number of organizations including the Association of Village Council Presidents, Tanana Chiefs Conference, Kawerak Inc., Alaska Department of Fish and Game, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bering Sea Fishermen's Association. He had also served about six years on the Alaska Board of Fisheries. MR. NELSON said a dramatic shift has been seen in the abundance of Chinook salmon; many rivers in western Alaska, particularly the Unakleet, the Yukon/Kuskokwim and Nushigak Rivers, in addition have suffered prolonged declines and in more recent years, rivers in Upper Cook Inlet and Copper River are seeing declining returns. It's especially troubling that many of these rivers are not even meeting their escapement goals and have significant restrictions to subsistence and failure to meet subsistence needs. He said weak returns also exacerbate the allocative tensions between sport, commercial and personal use user groups, and those tensions are already high when the runs are healthy. He said establishing a program to effectively understand and address the causes of the declines of Chinook salmon will require multi-disciplinary and multi-year research across the full salmon lifecycle, especially in the marine environment where Chinook spend 80 to 90 percent of their life history and complete 90 percent of their growth. Effective research across the full lifecycle requires long-term stable funding sources such as the one under consideration today. MR. NELSON said over the past 10 years, the AYK Sustainable Salmon Initiative has funded a number of important research projects including developing a research action plan for AYK Chinook salmon. The purpose is to identify which variables or processes are the most likely causative factors in recent declines and to produce a detail set or research priorities in targeting the key drivers of Chinook abundance. This will be accomplished by establishing a panel of fisheries scientists to review and synthesize the information available from all published sources and directly from the salmon managers. Drawing on that synthesis, the panel will identify key variables and processes that are affecting Chinook abundance including: -when during their life history is any variable being operative -hypotheses about the processes involved -the potential strength of their effect of abundance -the potential to be affected by management actions The panel would develop detailed recommendations for future research. 4:07:47 PM MR. NELSON said another project they have been involved with is escapement goals and evaluation of escapement goals to assure sustainable fisheries. When this project is completed the panel will offer advice on the most appropriate research approaches and management efforts. The panel will consider the range of approaches and analytical framework such as: -what are the best methods for dealing with data limited situations -what methods exist for determining escapement goals -which are the best to use in different drainage systems -what is the best model for establishing escapement goals in subsistence dominated fisheries (especially for the Arctic Yukon Kuskokwim area) 4:08:24 PM He said there are a number of other examples of endowment funded research programs in Alaska and each has extensive involvement by state agencies, staff and scientists. The sustained endowment-based funding from these has enabled organizations to undertake high quality long-term interdisciplinary research programs, but this one is ideal, because it's focused on such an important fish to Alaska. It's the state fish and it's the least numerous of the five species, but the most highly prized by a lot of Alaskans. MR. NELSON thanked Senator Olson and Representative Herron and their staffs and co-sponsors for creating SB 205. 4:09:53 PM REBECCAS ROBBINS-GISCLAIR, Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association (YRDFA), Anchorage, AK, supported SB 205. She said YRDFA is an association of commercial and subsistence fishermen and women on the Yukon River with a mission of promoting healthy wild fisheries and cultures on the Yukon River. She said that salmon are a critical resource in western Alaska where it serves as a primary source of food and the commercial fisheries are one of the only means of income. Chinook salmon in particular are an essential part of the culture, diet and economy in that region. The Chinook salmon are declining rapidly on the Yukon River and nobody is sure what the reasons are. Escapement goals to Canada haven't been met since 2007 despite some pretty dramatic restrictions on subsistence harvest. Subsistence needs as specified by the Board of Fisheries for amounts necessary for subsistence haven't been met since 2008 and it's like they will not have been met in 2011 when numbers come in. MS. ROBBINS-GISCLAIR said commercial fishing for King salmon has been pretty much eliminated; commercial Chum salmon fisheries have also been restricted to protect the King salmon that are in the river at the same time. Even when escape goals have been met, the subsequent returns from the escapements have been poor. These declines have had a dramatic effect on Yukon River communities. Very little information is available about what is causing it or how to plan for future run sizes. Chinook are a long-lived species and it's critical to have a dedicated and consistent source of funding for Chinook salmon research, so its lifecycle can be studied. This type of research needs to be well coordinated and funded over an extended period. She explained that some federal funds were allocated to research this issue, but there were still gaps in the data. 4:14:30 PM CASIE STOCKDALE, Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP), Bethel, AK, supported SB 205. She said she is also a biologist and that AVCP is a recognized tribal organization and non-profit Alaska regional corporation representing 56 member indigenous villages in Western Alaska. She thanked the sponsors of SB 205 saying the Chinook stocks in the Yukon and Kuskokwim drainages and the Chinook stocks throughout the AYK region are in a serious state of decline. Currently, on both rivers the productivity for Chinook is at or below one recruit per spawner, meaning that the population can barely replace itself even with no harvest. These sharp declines have prompted widespread restrictions and closures of subsistence and small scale commercial fisheries each year, causing nutritional, economic and cultural disaster for those who depend on the returns of these salmon stocks. In response, she said that AVCP recently hosted a special convention to identify ways to conserve Chinook and how to incorporate tribes in their management. The executive board passed Resolution 12-03-03 expressing full support for HB 332, establishment of the Alaska Chinook Salmon Research and Restoration Endowment Fund. AVCP also strongly supports SB 205 as there is an urgent need to create stable, long-term diversified sources of funding to implement high-quality research and restoration programs to address the causes of the declines of the Chinook salmon. 4:17:34 PM LORETTA BULLARD, President, Kawerak Inc., Nome, AK, supported SB 205. She said Kawerak is the regional tribal nonprofit association for the Bergin Straits region. They have seen huge decline's in Chinook returns in northern Norton Sound as well as southern Norton Sound. In 2011, only 44 Chinook returned to the Pilgrim River and in 2003 when they first started counting there, the Chinook run was 1,016. On the North River close to Unakleet, which is very dependent on Chinook for both subsistence and personal fisheries as well as Chinook commercial fishery, their runs have gone from 1,452 in 2003 down to 864. The Chinook runs in 2003 on the Koniaq by Ilum, the longest- running counting tower in the Bering straits region managed by the ADF&G, were at 744 and last year it had gone down to 57 fish. They question whether or not these stocks can even biologically sustain themselves. Their concerns have been brought to their regional fish biologists who say these are naturally occurring declines and nothing can be done. But they are very concerned about it and support this project so the declines can be addressed. Because of the extremely poor returns, they sought to have a Chinook and Chum disaster declared by the U.S. Department of Commerce for the stocks in Norton Sound two years ago, but weren't successful because while the Chinook return was way down in southern Norton Sound (that doesn't have a commercial fishery), the commercial fishermen in southern Norton Sound were able to offset their economic losses by fishing other stock. Therefore, no economic disaster occurred, so therefore a disaster was not declared. In northern Norton Sound, the commercial fisheries had been closed for so long that an economic disaster declaration was not possible, since a disaster is determined by the decline over the previous five years of average fishing income. Ms. Bullard stated this is not an income issue; their stocks are so depressed that they wonder if they will survive. Yet, there doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency in terms of addressing it. She feared the situation is worse than it appears, because on the Pilgrim where stocks have gone from over 1,000 fish annually down to 44 last summer, there is no escapement goal and that means there is no escapement goal to worry about meeting. 4:22:52 PM At ease from 4:22 to 4:25 p.m. 4:25:01 PM CO-CHAIR WAGONER called the meeting back to order at 4:25 p.m. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said he supported the bill, but asked ADF&G if this program should be limited to just Chinook salmon. The MatSu Valley has had low salmon returns for a number of years and a Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force was assembled to figure it out. Other areas of the state experience low returns, too. 4:26:52 PM ERIC VOLK, Fisheries Scientist, Division of Commercial Fisheries, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Anchorage, AK, responded that there is ample room for funding for all salmon species in Alaska and they all have substantial knowledge gaps and could be managed better. He said, however, that Chinook salmon represent an area of special concern. 4:28:03 PM JERRY MCCUNE, lobbyist, Cordova Fishermen United, Juneau, AK, supported SB 205. He said doing research in some areas would help gathering more information about other species, because sometimes the streams are right next to each other. He said it's tough enough for the department to get funding to just do some of the research they do now, but Alaska has the last abundance of wild Chinook in the world. Most of the stocks in Washington and Oregon are hatchery stocks. MR. MCCUNE said he understood the distrust of ADF&G in some areas, but someone has to be in charge. If he was on the board today from Southcentral, the first thing he would want to do is have the department write a report to get a baseline on what the gaps in information are from each area and where the Chinook are. 4:29:56 PM ROBIN SAMUELSON, President and CEO, Bristol Bay Development Corporation (BBEDC), Dillingham, AK, wholeheartedly supported SB 205. He said BBEDC represents 17 villages within the Bristol Bay region and they have had problems with their Chinook salmon for the last 30 years, and things are getting worse. The first time was when the Japanese high seas drift fleet annihilated the Chinook in western Alaska by taking 275,000 in one year. From there they went into a 20-year rebuilding mode. The rebuilding mode was working, but then the offshore trawl fishery was happening and they again noticed a decline in the salmons stocks. He remarked that the Nushigak, the biggest river in Bristol Bay, has not been making escapement for the last few years. It hasn't had a commercial salmon season and restrictions have been placed on sports fishermen; fortunately subsistence hasn't been restricted. However, in Togiak, Naknek, Quijak, Egegik, Ugashik and Port Heiden it's a whole different story. Their stocks are so small now that they might not come back. This money would allow them to set up enhancement projects to get the runs back over time. MR. SAMUELSON related that just two or three years ago, a Chinook cap was placed on the trawl fisheries in the Bering Sea thanks to the State of Alaska, but this bill is one of the major pieces of legislation that will save Chinook salmon whether it's in Southeast, Cook Inlet, Bristol Bay, or Norton Sound. 4:32:28 PM JOE FAITH, representing himself, Dillingham, AK, strongly supported SB 205. King salmon help define Alaska to the rest of the world, he said. They are important to subsistence, which has important nourishment, economic and cultural values. Last year he chose not subsistence fish for Kings on the Nushigak, because of his concern. Kings are also important to commercial fishing in Bristol Bay where he has direct-marketed Kings for $5/lb. Another direct marketer told him that she did it for $10/lb., but last year there was no commercial King season. The concern for Kings also affected Red salmon fishing on the Nushigak, because ADF&G put restrictions on those to meet King salmon escapement. 4:33:51 PM FRANK WOODS, Bristol Bay Native Association (BBNA), Dillingham, AK, supported SB 205. He said the Alaska Chinook Salmon Research and Restoration Endowment Fund would enhance research from beginning to end. A lot more people are needed to be involved in the processes of salmon management, habitat and research. MR. WOODS related that BBNA represents 31 Bristol Bay tribes and they have much in common with other regions' stocks of concern. He asked them to remove section 4(b)(1) in section 37.14.685 of SB 205 [page 6, lines 19-20] that says you have to be listed by the ADF&G as a "stock of concern" in order to be considered for the grant process, because some of these rivers have such small Chinook returns that their numbers aren't even listed. He also asked them to eliminate "(4) declined significantly from historic yield levels" as a qualification for a grant. 4:37:35 PM CO-CHAIR WAGONER, finding no further testifiers, closed the public hearing. SENATOR STEVENS asked Mr. Scott to comment on Mr. Woods thoughts on the criteria for grants on page 6. 4:38:43 PM MR. SCOTT responded that the sponsor would consider them; they are not digging in their heels. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked what he thought about extending the fund to salmon stocks across the state. MR. SCOTT replied that the sponsor wouldn't support doing that, not because other salmon stocks don't need that research, but because King stocks require special attention. CO-CHAIR WAGONER said in looking at items (1) through (4) on page 6, he understood Mr. Wood's concern about the runs that have gone so far down that they are below the criteria, and thought that language could be taken care of easily. SENATOR FRENCH noted that those items were a series of "ors" and meant that it doesn't matter if it's not a stock of concern, as long as it has declined significantly from historic yield levels. CO-CHAIR WAGONER said he would hold SB 205 in committee.