Sponsor Statement for HB 19

Sponsor Statement for CS HB 19 (FSH)

February 26, 1997

The guided sport fishery is an important and rapidly growing commercial industry in the Alaska economy. The ability of the state to provide for the sustainable development and sound, sensible management of our fishery resource is dependent upon the availability of complete information upon which to base decisions. My main goal with HB 19 is to provide for the collection of this data.

There is a lack of data available regarding the commercial guided sport fishery in Alaska. Registration of the guides themselves is required on a few rivers, but not everywhere. Currently, no uniform licensing procedure for sport fish guides exists in Alaska. Thus, we do not have complete information about who is actively engaged in commercial sport fish guiding, how many clients are served, what the catch rates are, and what rivers, streams and marine waters are being utilized.

Without a means for gathering information, it is impossible to monitor the activity or growth of the commercial sport fish fishery on a statewide basis. It is imperative for the state to have solid information to ensure the sustainable development of this commercial industry and to ensure the sound management of the fishery resources upon which this commercial industry depends. It is time to acknowledge this important growing industry and make sure that management decisions can be based on complete information.

HB 19 establishes in statute a license program and requires ADFG to collect the needed information for a period of 3 years. It does not impose any limitations on the number of guides or vessels in the state, nor does it affect their activities other than having to report and carry the documentation on their persons. The cost of licensing, data gathering, analysis and enforcement will be funded by the revenues generated from the license fees. Therefore, this program will be fiscally self-sustaining.

The bill establishes three options of guide licensure: (1) A sport fishing services operator license costs $75 for sport fish guide business owners and is obtainable from ADFG. An Alaska business license, and proof of insurance are the only requirements to obtain an operators license. (2) A fishing guide license costs $25 for sport fish guides and will be readily available through ADFG's vendor licensing system. This is modeled after how commercial crew licenses are obtained. (3) We have also provided a third alternative in which an individual could obtain both guide and operator licenses as one combined license for $75 from the department to accommodate the many one-person operations.

Each person who plans to engage in sport fish guiding, both on fresh and salt water, from a vessel or otherwise, will be required to purchase a license. The sport fish division of ADFG will develop reports which license holders will be required to submit. This will enable the state to build a data bank regarding the commercial guided sport fishery.

This legislation, then HB 175, passed the House last year with a vote of 36 to 4, but did not make it all the way through the Senate before the session ended. I feel that HB 19 is a piece of forward looking legislation which, 5, 10 and 20 years from now, the charter industry and our state's resources will benefit as a result of it's passage.

Sponsor Statement for HB 19

January 23, 1997

HB 19 establishes in statute a license program and requires ADFG to collect the needed information. It does not impose any limitations on the number of guides or vessels in the state, or who can purchase the license to guide, nor does it affect their activities other than having to report and carry the documentation on their persons. The cost of licensing, data gathering, analysis and enforcement will be funded by the revenues generated from the license fees. Therefore, this program will be fiscally self-sustaining.

The bill establishes three options of guide licensure: (1) A sport fishing services operator license costs $75 for sport fish guide business owners and is obtainable from ADFG. An Alaska business license, and proof of insurance are the only requirements to obtain an operators license. (2) A fishing guide license costs $25 for sport fish guides and will be readily available through ADFG's vendor licensing system. This is modeled after how commercial crew licenses are obtained. Requirements for the guide license include purchase of an annual Alaska sport fishing license for three of the preceding five years, US citizenship, a first aid/CPR card, and a US Coast Guard license (6-pack) and a current sport fishing license. (3) We have also provided a third alternative in response to earlier version of this legislation in which an individual could obtain both guide and operator licenses as one combined license for $75 from the department to accommodate many one-person operations.

Each person who plans to engage in sport fish guiding, both on fresh and salt water, from a vessel or otherwise, will be required to purchase the license. The sport fish division of ADFG will develop reports which license holders will be required to submit. This will enable the state to build a data bank regarding the commercial guided sport fishery.