HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES March 5, 1993 8:00 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Carl E. Moses, Chairman Representative Cliff Davidson Representative Irene Nicholia MEMBERS ABSENT Representative Harley Olberg, Vice Chairman Representative Gail Phillips OTHER MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Gary Davis Representative Ben Grussendorf Representative Bill Hudson Representative Fran Ulmer COMMITTEE CALENDAR Overview: Pacific Salmon Treaty WITNESS REGISTER Charles P. Meacham, Deputy Commissioner Department of Fish and Game P.O. Box 25526 Juneau, Alaska 99802-5526 Phone: 465-4100 Position Statement: Gave overview on Pacific Salmon Treaty and Yukon Treaty Jev Shelton, Vice President United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters Association 1670 Evergreen Avenue Juneau, Alaska 99801 Phone: 586-2242 Position Statement: Spoke of priorities and focus of the Northern Panel for 1993 Dale Kelley, Executive Director Alaska Trollers Association 130 Seward Street, Suite 213 Juneau, Alaska 99801 Phone: 586-9400 Position Statement: Talked about the critical need for the lobbying effort in Washington, D.C. Jim Bacon Northern Panel P.O. Box 210383 Auke Bay, Alaska 99821 Phone: 789-2405 Position Statement: Commented that Washington state has adopted a strategy to get concessions so Alaska could get more salmon Julie Roberts P.O. Box 130 Tanana, Alaska Phone: 366-7160 Position Statement: Commented on Yukon River residents being excluded Kate Troll, Executive Director Southeast Seiners Association 9226 Long Run Drive Juneau, Alaska 99801 Phone: 789-5117 Position Statement: Alleged the Washington delegation was tired of being strong-armed by Alaskans on fish issues Robert J. Evans II P.O. Box 528 Wrangell, Alaska 99929 Position Statement: Stated Alaska needed to be more offensive instead of defensive in their strategy ACTION NARRATIVE Tape 93-10, SIDE A Number 000 CHAIRMAN CARL MOSES called the meeting to order at 8:40 a.m., and noted the meeting was being teleconferenced to Kotzebue, Sitka, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Ketchikan. He stated the committee would be hearing from Deputy Commissioner Chuck Meacham of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), and members of the Northern Panel regarding the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Number 010 CHARLES P. MEACHAM, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, ADF&G, stated he would cover two primary areas: The Pacific Salmon Treaty as it related to Southeastern Alaska, and development of the Yukon River Treaty with Canada, which was not yet completed. He used an overhead projector and went over handouts which detailed the Pacific Salmon Treaty and the Yukon River Treaty. (The handouts can be found in the House Special Committee on Fisheries Committee Room, and after the adjournment of the second session of the 18th Alaska State Legislature, in the Legislative Reference Library.) Number 050 MR. MEACHAM described the Pacific Salmon Commission as a bilateral commission between the United States and Canada, comprised of four commissioners in the U.S., one from Alaska, one from Washington/Oregon, one representative from the Northwest Indian Tribes, and one representative from the federal government. The Commission has three panels: The Northern Panel, Southern Panel, and Faser River Panel. He introduced some representatives from the Northern Panel: Jim Bacon, Jev Shelton, and Kevin Duffy, the state's representative and chairman of the panel. Number 100 MR. MEACHAM stated there was an added complication to the treaty process this year (1993) related to the Endangered Species Act. He noted there was an ongoing fishery in Alaska that took some listed species, in particular the Snake River fall chinook. The Endangered Species Act required a Section 7 Incidental Take Permit for a fishery to take a listed species, he advised. Number 287 REPRESENTATIVE BEN GRUSSENDORF asked if the ADF&G's budget reflected the necessary resources to accomplish the incidental take permitting process. MR MEACHAM stated in 1992 a need for legal assistance was expressed and obtained. He noted this issue had grown beyond a one person need, and at that point there was no means of meeting the need, strictly in terms of the legal work. Number 326 REPRESENTATIVE FRAN ULMER suggested the million dollars in the governor's budget for the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge lobby be transferred to a million dollar effort to lobby on these reauthorization efforts. MR. MEACHAM thought there would be a real tough battle this year (1993) just to maintain the status quo, let alone seek improvements. Number 440 JEV SHELTON, VICE PRESIDENT, UNITED SOUTHEAST ALASKA GILLNETTERS ASSOCIATION, and a REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NORTHERN PANEL, stated there is a threat this year to move the negotiations to Washington D.C., and Alaska needed to have good representation in Washington D.C. He noted the Canadians' point of view was that fish spawning in their area belonged to them. The Treaty should not be set up like we were taking a resource from Canadians, he added. Number 626 DALE KELLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALASKA TROLLERS ASSOCIATION, felt the lobbying effort in Washington D.C. was very critical. The Endangered Species Act in general was very important for fishermen, but was in need of some practical measures, she added. Tape 93-10 Side B Number 000 MS. KELLEY noted the state of Alaska had been ignoring for the past several years the second biggest industry in the state. She pointed out the fishing industry returned three dollars on every dollar spent, in comparison to the tourist industry which returned only fifteen cents on the dollar and received many more dollars than the fishing industry. She noted the ADF&G had only one person to coordinate the Treaty and a part-time person in the Division of Fisheries Rehabilitation, Enhancement and Development, and was also the Northern Panel's Chair, while the other states had full- time staff whose only job was to work on the Treaty. Number 033 JIM BACON, a REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NORTHERN PANEL, believed Washington State had adopted a strategy to get concessions for Alaska to get more salmon. REPRESENTATIVE GRUSSENDORF suggested developing a definite plan as to what the money would be used for, other than to travel to Washington D.C., if financial resources were made available. Number 103 REPRESENTATIVE ULMER felt the governor needed to be convinced of the importance of these issues, which should be among his high priorities in Washington D.C. She suggested a meeting with the House Special Committee on Fisheries and the Governor might be in order. Number 115 REPRESENTATIVE CLIFF DAVIDSON asked the Commission what had been done at the administrative and department levels to approach the governor for funding. Number 125 MR. MEACHAM said he had not personally approached the governor but Commissioner Rosier of the ADF&G had discussed the Pacific Salmon Treaty and the endangered species problems with the governor. He stated that in the past it was very effective when work was done on the Magnuson Act and real Alaskans were taken back to D.C., as opposed to just bureaucrats. Number 149 REPRESENTATIVE GRUSSENDORF told Mr. Meacham the ADF&G and the governor needed to provide guidelines for what needed to be accomplished. Number 173 MR. BACON stated the Southeast Alaska Seiners had already been to Washington D.C. once on the Endangered Species Act and the Magnuson Act and are in the process of developing a budget within their own association, as well as a lobbying agenda to get the "bones" for exactly what type of effort they were going to put forward. He agreed a well coordinated plan needed to be presented to see if funding was available. Number 188 MR. MEACHAM commented that the Yukon River Treaty development in comparison to the Pacific Salmon Treaty was a much more positive approach. Number 203 JULIE ROBERTS of Tanana testified via teleconference that she felt everyone wanted a piece of the pie, some larger than others, and people who live along the Yukon River were being excluded. She thought the fish were very important for their survival and they needed to be treated fairly in all the negotiations. Number 238 KATE TROLL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOUTHEAST SEINERS ASSOCIATION, stated she had just returned from Washington,D.C., and the Washington delegation was tired of being strong-armed by Alaskans on fish issues, meaning the onshore/offshore issue. She said Washington fully intended to "take Alaska on." Number 264 ROBERT J. EVANS, II of Wrangell testified via teleconference. He felt Alaska was defending itself when it should be taking the offense in Washington, D.C. Number 283 REPRESENTATIVE IRENE NICHOLIA asked Mr. Meacham about the FY 94 budget for Yukon salmon negotiations. MR. MEACHAM answered that most of the funding was provided by the federal government, that being between $700,000 and $750,000. There has been a decrease in that relative to extraction of overhead. He acknowledged the state funded numerous activities on the Yukon River in terms of management, biological sampling, stock identification, and related activities. He commented the ADF&G was doing the best they could with what they had, but were seeing some declines and, it was getting more difficult. ADJOURNMENT CHAIRMAN MOSES asked if there were any further questions. Hearing none, he adjourned the meeting at 9:55 a.m.