SENATE BILL REPORT

                           SHB 1350

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, APRIL 2, 1993

Brief Description:  Requiring pink shrimp licenses.

SPONSORS: House Committee on Fisheries & Wildlife (originally sponsored by Representatives King, Fuhrman, Basich, Wood, Orr, Tate, Johanson and Foreman)

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES & WILDLIFE

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended. 

     Signed by Senators Owen, Chairman; Franklin, Haugen, Oke, Sellar, and Snyder.

Staff:  Erika Lim (786‑7488)

Hearing Dates: March 31, 1993; April 2, 1993

BACKGROUND:

Ocean pink shrimp live in waters beyond the three-mile territorial limit.  This means that states cannot regulate their harvest by requiring fishing licenses.  States can, however, regulate harvest by requiring delivery licenses.

Ocean pink shrimp fishers move up and down the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California and deliver their catch to whatever state is closest.  There are concerns that shrimp may become overharvested and that the fishery will become overcapitalized.

Oregon has limited the number of vessels that can land pink shrimp in its ports.

SUMMARY:

After December 31, 1993, an ocean pink shrimp delivery license is required to land ocean pink shrimp in Washington.  The annual license fee is $150 for residents and $300 for nonresidents.  The fee for a one-time delivery license is $100.  These one-time delivery licenses may be issued only in emergency cases and there is an annual limit of six per vessel.

Shrimp licenses will be issued to vessels which can show both historical and continuous participation in the fishery.  There are two requirements:  (1) a vessel must have landed at least 5000 pounds of ocean pink shrimp in any calendar year between January 1, 1983 and December 31, 1992; and (2) a vessel must show eligibility to land shrimp in Washington, Oregon, or California every year since the landing made to qualify under the first requirement.  There are a few exceptions to these requirements for boats under construction or replacement boats.  The landing requirement may be reduced but not waived.

Licenses are transferable.  License histories are transferred with the license.

After December 31, 1994, renewals will be given only to vessels which held a shrimp license the previous year.

A three-member advisory board will hear cases from the ocean pink shrimp fishery.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENT:

 A technical change is made to provide consistent language throughout the bill.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

Effective Date:  January 1, 1994

TESTIMONY FOR:

This bill will help stabilize the shrimp industry and may help head off potential problems with more people entering the fishery in the future.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:

Shrimp are not being overharvested and this bill only creates an economic monopoly of a public resource.

TESTIFIED:  Representative King, prime sponsor; Joseph Barnes, F/U Shana-O, Owner (con); Ed Owens, Coalition of Washington Ocean Fishermen (pro); Mary Lou Mills, Department of Fisheries; John A. Oakes, Jim Bloont, Ray Toste, Fishermen's Marketing Association (pro)