HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1841

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      Natural Resources

Title:  An act relating to transfer fees for limited commercial fishery licenses.

Brief Description:  Reducing the transfer fee for limited commercial fishery licenses.

Sponsors:  Representatives Kessler, Johnson, Hatfield, Buck, Kremen, Basich and Sheldon.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Natural Resources:  2/24/95, 2/28/95 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 14 members:  Representatives Fuhrman, Chairman; Buck, Vice Chairman; Pennington, Vice Chairman; Basich, Ranking Minority Member; Regala, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Beeksma; Cairnes; Elliot; G. Fisher; Romero; Sheldon; Stevens; B. Thomas and Thompson.

Minority Report:  Without recommendation.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Jacobsen.

Staff:  Rick Anderson (786-7114).

Background:   The Department of Fish and Wildlife issues various commercial fishing licenses, including commercial fishery licenses, a salmon delivery license, and  a salmon charter license.  A number of these licenses are for fisheries in which no new licenses may be issued.  These fisheries are known as limited entry fisheries. 

State law allows these licenses to be transferred with certain restrictions.  State law also requires a fee for the transfer of these licenses.  The fee for transferring one of these licenses is:  1) equal to the resident renewal fee, if the license is not limited by the department; 2) three and a half times the resident renewal fee, if the license is limited by the department; or 3) the difference between the non-resident and resident license fees, if a license is transferred from a resident to a non-resident.

Summary of Substitute Bill:   The transfer fee is eliminated for all commercial salmon licenses, if the license is transferred to a state resident.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:   The original bill waived the fee for all license transfers, except those to a non-resident.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:   The transfer fee for the commercial salmon licenses is too high.  The license is worth very little due to the poor salmon fishing.  There is no support to bear the burden of these fees if the fees do not go to support fish hatcheries.

Testimony Against:   The transfer fee for the limited entry and non-limited entry licenses was established as part of a compromise to fund various fish hatcheries.  The bill does not provide similar relief to recreational fishers.

Testified:  Representative Lynn Kessler, prime sponsor; Allan Hollingsworth, Grays Harbor Gillnetters; Richard Good, Washington Trollers Association; Don Stuart, Salmon for Washington; Ed Owens, Coalition of Washington Ocean Fisherman; Vic Mandich, Grays Harbor Gillnetters; Paul Savidge, private citizen and gillnetter (all in favor); Ed Manary, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (oppose).