Web posted
Monday, March 18, 2002
Alaska's fishing industry is facing hard truths, shaking off its complacency
Moving from crisis to change
Rep. Drew Scalzi
Editor's Note: The Kenai Peninsula's legislative delegation has been invited to keep residents informed of what's happening in Juneau in this column, which runs weekly during the legislative session. Peninsula lawmakers take turns writing the column.
Since Rep. Ken Lancaster, R-Soldotna, spoke about our state's financial situation in a recent legislative article, I would like to take this opportunity to address our fisheries resource issues by offering one word: podsnap.
This is an interesting word, based on a Charles Dickens' character, meaning "a person embodying insular complacency and self-satisfaction and refusal to face up to unpleasant facts." Our commercial fishing industry is in crisis and has been for some time. If there were ever a time not to be insularly complacent and self-satisfied, it is now.
Starting last session, I introduced a packet of measures designed to begin the process of moving the seafood industry from crisis to change. This industry is vital not only to Alaska but Alaskans.
House Bill 216: Clarifies the emergency order authority of the commissioner of Fish and Game for in-season management and recognizes that he is better able to respond quickly to changing conditions on the fishing grounds. It ensures the Alaska Department of Fish and Game responds in a timely manner to unforeseen circumstances in-season for all fisheries to prevent the loss of harvestable surpluses that may be unavailable in the future or to circumstances that threaten fish resources.
HB 216 also changes the agenda change request policy for the Board of Fisheries that calls for the board to take an area out-of-cycle on the basis of a "conservation" concerns. The bill requires the Fish and Game commissioner to concur with the Board of Fisheries that a conservation emergency does exist and cannot be resolved under existing regulations. HB 216 provides the flexibility managers need in-season to ensure sustainable fisheries.
House Bill 208: Provides for the development of the mariculture industry by requiring the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to offer for lease by July 1, 2003, a minimum of 90 sites suitable for aquatic farming by particular species and methods. DNR would identify the sites in consultation with the departments of Fish and Game and Environmental Conservation. The sites will be offered by public auction.
House Bill 288: Clarifies the limited entry voluntary buy-back statute. Following an optimum number study for a fishery, it allows a program to proceed if fishermen choose to utilize this tool for fleet reduction. It authorizes the establishment of buy-back funds, permit buy-back assessments, and sets forth the framework for a buy-back program. It changes the definition of "optimum," as it relates to the number of permits within a fishery, to a range instead of a fixed number. This will provide more flexibility for the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commis-sion. HB 288 also clearly delineates the revenue collection and appropriation process.
House Bill 286: This measure provides another option for fleet reduction. It allows fishermen to hold two permits in the same fishery, but does not allow for additional fishing privileges for the second permit - its purpose is fleet consolidation. It also permits the creation of salmon fishery associations to accomplish this purpose. HB 286 also authorizes assessments through the voluntary action of fishermen through a two-third's affirmative vote of the permit holders by fishery. Both HB 288 and HB 286 are voluntary programs provided as tools for fishermen.
House Bill 287: Strengthens the position of CFEC relative to the exemption of permits from claims of creditors; continues the tax obligation state loan program and allows an individual to receive more than one loan in a lifetime; and, eliminates the one-half percent refinance fee on commercial fishing loans. HB 287 will strengthen the state's position for keeping permits in the hands of fishermen and assist those who desire to refinance a state loan to take advantage of low interest rates.
House Bill 206: Establishes a vessel based permit system for the Bering Sea Korean hair crab and weathervane scallop fisheries. It also permits the state to assume management of a fishery in the exclusive economic zone in the absence of a federal management plan. HB 206 creates a limited entry program designed to limit the number of vessels participating in these fisheries to protect the resource and its economic health. Action is required by the Legislature because a moratorium on entrants into these fisheries currently exists and will expire.
There are several other measures introduced by other legislators that support the seafood industry including House Bill 360 (the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute) and Senate Bill 266 (Enhancement Loans). Your local LIO office can provide all the measures and their status.
Again, I recognize that these measures are just a beginning and that change is painful for all of us. The pain of not changing would be far worse.
I want to thank all who have worked on these bills and are supporting them throughout the legislative process. It has been a statewide corroborative effort. These measures could only be designed with a statewide perspective, and it will take this perspective in support to see them successfully through the legislative process.
We have faced the "unpleasant facts" and are beginning to peal away any "insular complacency." The statewide dialogue has been very healthy, and I look for it to improve as we move from crisis to change to vitality.
Rep. Drew Scalzi, a Republican from Homer, is in his first term representing District 8 in the Alaska House of Representatives.
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