If Representative David Talerico has his way HB 137 will require all resident Alaskans to pay $5 more for their sport fishing licenses this coming summer.
HB 137 then continues on to require all sockeye salmon sport fishing persons to also purchase a newly created sockeye salmon stamp that will cost around $15.
Residents who fish for sockeye salmon will be required to pay an extra $20 per person. The current price of a resident sport fish license is $24. With this fee increase a resident will be paying about $44, just to go sockeye fishing. This fee increase is supposedly required to help pay for the burden of the increasing level of public participation in our popular sockeye salmon fisheries (fee almost doubled).
HB 137 also requires non-residents to purchase this new $15 sockeye stamp and adds on an extra $5 more for a one day, non-resident sport fishing license. $20 one day license + $5 fee increase + $15 sockeye stamp = $40 one day, non-resident fishing license (fee doubled).
HB 137 is a bill on the move and flying through the committee hearings. If you would like to give your representatives your opinion of this bill, you will need to hurry.
You may contact your representatives directly or connect with them through your local Legislative Information Office.