SENATE BILL REPORT

                                    SB 5685

         AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES,

                               FEBRUARY 25, 1991

Brief Description:  Allowing commercial salmon fishing opportunities in specified rivers.

SPONSORS:Senators Snyder and Conner.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Metcalf, Chairman; Oke, Vice Chairman; Amondson, Conner, Owen, Patterson, and Snyder. 

Staff:  Ross Antipa (786‑7413)

Hearing Dates:February 25, 1991

BACKGROUND:

Quinault Indian reservation streams have salmon runs which are primarily harvested by treaty Indian fishermen.

Non-Indian commercial fishermen would like an opportunity to harvest Quinault reservation origin chum and sockeye salmon.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Fisheries shall establish commercial net fishing areas at the mouth of Quinault Indian reservation rivers for the purpose of providing salmon fishing opportunities to non-Indian commercial fishermen.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

TESTIMONY FOR:

Non-Indian fishermen should be given an opportunity to fish on salmon stocks that originate on the Quinault Indian Reservation.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:

The management of salmon would be unnecessarily complicated by this legislation.

TESTIFIED:  Toimi Maki, Grays Harbor Gillnetters (pro); Bob Lake, Willapa Bay (pro); Gene Di Donato, Department of Fisheries (con); Steve Arbaugh, VSGA (pro)