SENATE BILL REPORT

                  2SSB 5157

               As Passed Senate, March 10, 1995

Title:  An act relating to conspicuous external marking of hatchery produced chinook salmon and coho salmon.

Brief Description:  Providing for conspicuous external marking of hatchery produced chinook salmon and coho salmon.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Owen, Drew, Sutherland, Hargrove, Oke and Haugen).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Natural Resources:  1/26/95, 2/10/95 [DPS].

Ways & Means:  2/22/95, 3/6/95 [DP2S].

Passed Senate, 3/10/95, 43-1.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5157 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

  Signed by Senators Drew, Chair; A. Anderson, Hargrove, Haugen, Morton, Owen, Snyder, Strannigan and Swecker.

Staff:  Ross Antipa (786-7413)

Background:  Protection of endangered salmon species is a primary tenet of modern fishery management.  Mixed stock salmon fisheries will harvest hatchery origin salmon, which can tolerate a high harvest rate, and natural origin (sometimes endangered) salmon, which cannot withstand a high harvest rate, in an indiscriminate manner.

If hatchery origin salmon could be easily identified by marking, then mixed stock fisheries could be conducted in such a manner as to allow harvest of hatchery origin salmon, and release of unmarked salmon of naturally spawning origin.

Summary of Bill:  Coho salmon and chinook salmon produced in salmon hatcheries are marked for the purpose of identification in mixed stock fisheries.  The bill is null and void if funding is not provided in the budget.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 18, 1995.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The mass marking program is the future of the recreational fishery and the state of Washington must move forward to enact the program.

Testimony Against:  Commercial fishermen are concerned that the mass marking program could reduce their opportunity to harvest salmon.

Testified:  Bob Lake, Willapa Bay Gillnetters; Les Clark, NW Gillnetters Assn.; PRO:  Don Collen, Wildcat Steelhead Club; Bruce Crawford, WDFW; Shari Stoican; David Holdsworth, All Points Maritime Services; Frank Urabeck, Trout Unlimited; Bruce Ferguson; Herbert Shepard, Charter Boat Assn. of Puget Sound; Jack Swanberg, NW Marine Trade Assn.; Don Stuart, Salmon For WA; Vernon Young, Federation of Fly Fishers; Ross Warren, President, Puget Sound Anglers; John Sayre, Long Live the Kings; Tom Bennett, Geoff Grillo, Westport Charter Boat Assn.; CON: Pat Hamilton, Pacific County Commission; Richard Good, WA Trollers Assn.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report:  That Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5157 be substituted therefor, and the second substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Rinehart, Chair; Loveland, Vice Chair; Cantu, Drew, Finkbeiner, Fraser, Gaspard, Hargrove, Hochstatter, Johnson, Long, Moyer, Pelz, Roach, Sheldon, Strannigan, Sutherland, West, Winsley and Wojahn.

Staff:  Tracy Cox (786-7437)

Testimony For:  This bill could, in part, ensure recreational fishing for salmon, which would help the boating industry.  Washington State has been a leader in implementing selective fisheries.

Testimony Against:  There is no capability to mark young chinook.  There is high mortality from marking fish.  Money should be put into more hatcheries.

Testified:  Frank Urabeck, Trout Unlimited; Jack Swanberg, Northwest Marine Trade Association; Bruce Crawford, Department of Fish and Wildlife; Allan Hollingsworth, Grays Harbor Gillnetters (con); Bob Lake, Willapa Bay Enhancement Group and Gillnetters (con); Diane Ellison, Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force (con).

House Amendment(s):  Tuna, mackerel and jack are exempt from the landing tax provisions by removing them from the definition of enhanced food fish in the excise tax statutes.