SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5157

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

             Natural Resources, February 10, 1995

                  Ways & Means, March 6, 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:  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].

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 Substitute Bill:  Coho salmon and chinook salmon produced in salmon hatcheries are marked for the purpose of identification in mixed stock fisheries. 

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  References to commercial fisheries are removed.  The marking of all appropriate coho and chinook salmon will be fully implemented by June 30, 1997.

Appropriation:  $5 million.

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)

Second Substitute Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  The appropriation is eliminated, and a null and void section is added.

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).