SB 44-PERSONAL USE FISHING PRIORITY  4:05:11 PM CHAIR REVAK announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 44 "An Act requiring the Board of Fisheries to prioritize personal use fisheries when implementing fishing restrictions to achieve a management goal." 4:05:42 PM JOE HAYES, Staff, Senator Scott Kawasaki, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, introduced SB 44 reading the sponsor statement into the record: Excluding the priority already in statute for subsistence, SB 44 directs the Board of Fisheries to place restrictions on sport and commercial fisheries before putting restrictions on personal use fisheries when the harvest is limited to achieve a management goal. Fisheries that are restricted to residents only are intended to enable Alaskans to access their fisheries resources for their personal use and consumption. Ensuring that residents have access to these fisheries resources is vitally important as we continue to grow as a state. All Alaskans can agree that residents should be prioritized for harvest of our fisheries resources before users from elsewhere in the country and the world. Currently, there are 41 personal use fisheries throughout the state. Harvested species include salmon, whitefish, shrimp, clams, crab, scallop, herring, smelt, abalone, sea cucumber, halibut and more. Nearly 50,000 Alaskans rely on personal use fisheries every year to put food on their family dinner table. Personal use fisheries provide food security, contribute to the economy and support the Alaskan traditions of independence, self-determination and resourcefulness. I ask for your consideration and support of SB 44 so Alaskans can be assured that they will continue to have access to their fisheries resources to the benefit of themselves and their families. 4:08:00 PM MR. HAYES presented the following sectional analysis for SB 44: Section 1: Amends AS 16.05.251 to read that the Board of Fisheries will restrict all other fisheries before personal use fisheries when implementing restrictions to achieve the escapement of the number of the stock that will sustain the fishery. MR. HAYES presented a PowerPoint on SB 44. He started by reading slides 2, 3, and 4: Intent of SB 44 In an effort to increase food security for the state of Alaska, SB 44 ensures that all Alaskans have priority access to our state's rich abundance of nutritious seafood. Bill Overview Senate Bill 44 provides for the prioritization of personal use fisheries in the event of a closure ensuring a management goal s met. Value to Alaskans Personal use fisheries provide an extremely valuable food source to Alaskans. In 2019, 21,479 personal use permit holders caught 457,002 sockeye salmon from Cook Inlet personal use fisheries. To buy the equivalent amount of sockeye salmon from a Fred Meyer in Fairbanks, Juneau, or Anchorage would cost an average of $1,962.80 per permit holder. A report* from a family who dipnetted in 2019 shows that they paid $2.64/lbs for 80.6 lbs of fillets they ate throughout the year. At a retail value of $805.19 this is a $592.42 cost savings on 80.6 lbs of sockeye salmon. This is a significant cost savings that helps Alaskans have easier access to high quality food. *https://northernexpenditure.com/dipnetting-2019-i- got-a-triple/ 4:10:11 PM MR. HAYES directed attention to the graph on slide 5 that shows the difference between the Prince William Sound commercial harvests from 2009 through 2019 versus the Kenai dipnet harvests over the same period. He described the difference as marked. MR. HAYES concluded the presentation stating: SB 44 provides for a common sense measure ensuring that all Alaskans are able to have access to our state's abundance of nutrient rich seafood. 4:11:02 PM CHAIR REVAK announced public testimony would be noticed for a later hearing. He asked the individuals waiting to testify to submit their testimony to sres@akleg.gov. [SB 44 was held in committee.]