HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 2011
BYRepresentative R. King
Changing provisions regulating commercial fishing licenses.
House Committe on Fisheries & Wildlife
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. (9)
Signed by Representatives R. King, Chair; S. Wilson, Ranking Republican Member; Basich, Bowman, Brooks, Cole, Haugen, Smith and Spanel.
House Staff:Pamela Madson (786-7310)
Rereferred House Committee on Revenue
Majority Report: The substitute bill by Committee on Fisheries & Wildlife be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. (14)
Signed by Representatives Wang, Chair; Pruitt, Vice Chair; Holland, Ranking Republican Member; Appelwick, Basich, Brumsickle, Fraser, Grant, Haugen, Morris, Phillips, Rust, Silver and H. Sommers.
Minority Report: Do not pass. (1)
Signed by Representative Van Luven.
House Staff: Rick Wickman and Bob Longman (786-7136)
AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON REVENUE MARCH 4, 1989
BACKGROUND:
The Department of Fisheries manages the state's food fish resource in part through a licensing scheme that gathers harvest information, produces revenue, and identifies the participants in particular fisheries.
Annual licenses are issued to fishers harvesting in state waters. Fishers who harvest offshore (beyond the three mile limit) and bring their catch to a Washington port must have a delivery permit.
The current licensing scheme distinguishes between salmon fishers and fishers harvesting other food fish and shellfish. License fees related to salmon are generally higher than licenses for other food fish. Most license fees for other food fish and shellfish have not been increased since the mid 1960's, while salmon licenses were increased in 1977. Not all license fees distinguish between resident fees and non-resident fees.
There is increasing demand for commercial harvest of species that have not been widely harvested. The Department of Fisheries does not have authority to set fees administratively for licenses in new commercial fisheries using new types of gear.
Standard measures of inflation can be used to adjust fee schedules. One measure is the implicit price deflator (IPD) that measures, over time, the price changes of goods and services. It reflects the changes in the actual consumption pattern of the American consumer, and uses the base year 1982. It is published by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The Department of Fisheries has designated state oyster reserves in Puget Sound, Willapa Harbor, and the Willapa River. The purposes of the reserves are to furnish oysters to oyster growers and processors, and to provide stock for public beaches. To take shellfish from an oyster reserve, a person must have an oyster reserve license. Additionally, oyster growers may bring their oyster shell to the reserves to collect oyster seed that then is planted on private property for eventual harvest.
SUMMARY:
SUBSTITUTE BILL: Commercial fishing license fees are increased as follows: (1) the minimum fee for a harvest license is $20; (2) fees less than $100 (primarily food fish other than salmon and shellfish) are increased to $100; and (3) fees greater than $100 (primarily salmon) are increased by 37 percent rounded to the nearest five dollars. Non-resident license fees are two times the amount of resident license fees.
Permits are re-designated as licenses. Six new licenses are established and two licenses (crab pot and trawl) are divided between Puget Sound licenses and coastal-Columbia River licenses.
Licenses used for fishing on the coast (trawl other than Puget Sound and crab pot other than Puget Sound) include delivery licenses which allow the fishers to harvest in offshore waters and deliver to a Washington port. The additional pot fee for certain pot licenses (bottom fish, shellfish, and crab pots) is removed.
The oyster reserve license for the commercial taking of shellfish from the state reserves is increased from $15 to $100, and oyster growers who bring their oyster shell onto state reserves to collect oyster seed shall provide 10 percent of their seeded oysters to enhance the supply on state reserves and public beaches.
Every three years beginning in 1993, license fees shall be adjusted based on the implicit price deflator (IPD).
SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL: The ring net license is reinstated and the fee is raised from $27.50 to $100 for residents and from $45 to $200 for non-residents. The license fee for crab pots other than Puget Sound is increased from $150 to $200 for residents and $200 to $400 for non-residents. A vessel may be licensed for either sport fishing or commercial fishing, but may not engage in both on the same day. A vessel owner no longer must deposit the license not in use with a Fisheries agent.
CHANGES PROPOSED BY COMMITTEE ON REVENUE: None.
Revenue: The bill has a revenue impact.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date:This act takes effect January 1, 1990.
House Committee ‑ Testified For: (Fisheries & Wildlife) Ed Manary, Department of Fisheries; Steve Arbaugh, Puget Sound Gillnetters; Randy Ray, Salmon for Washington; Ray Nelson, citizen; Robert Zuanich, Purse Seine Vessel Owners Association.
(Revenue) None Presented.
House Committee - Testified Against: (Fisheries & Wildlife) Toimi Maki, Grays Harbor Gillnetters Association.
(Revenue) None Presented.
House Committee - Testimony For: (Fisheries & Wildlife) Setting minimum license fees allows the department to recover costs on all commercial licenses. Adding additional license categories allows more accurate data gathering. The increase in license fees represents an adjustment based on the implicit price deflator measured from the date of the last fee change. Paperwork will be reduced for license issuance. This increase should be coordinated with increases proposed in other legislation.
(Revenue) None Presented.
House Committee - Testimony Against: (Fisheries & Wildlife) Commercial fishers cannot absorb the additional license costs. Other legislation will add additional financial burden to this increase.
(Revenue) None Presented.