An Act relating to the amount and disposition of the commercial fishing license fee and to the fishermen's fund; and providing for an effective date.

Prepared by: Senate Finance
Updated: April 29, 1999

Senate Bill 146 increases the-cost of a crew-members fishing license from $30 per resident and $90 per non-resident to $60 for a resident and $125 for a non-resident license. At the current time, 60% of the crew-member license fees goes into the Fisherman's Fund which is a dedicated fund that provides emergency treatment, transportation to the nearest approved medical facility, medical care and hospitalization to commercial crew members if they are disabled in Alaska waters.

Senate Bill 146 reduces the percentage of license fees that goes into the fund from 60% to 36%. At the 36% level, the Fisherman's Fund will have the same amount of funding it receives now. The current balance of the fund is over $9 million.

Senate Bill 146 directs 64% of the crew license fees to the Fish & Game Fund to be made Available for appropriation to Commercial Fisheries Management. The intent is to direct the crew license fees to benefit the commercial fisheries industry.

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