BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to a warm-water fish culture public-private partnership; amending RCW 75.50.080; adding new sections to chapter 75.50 RCW; and making appropriations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the increasing interest in recreational fishing for warm-water fish has created an opportunity to increase the fisheries of the state through the use of fish culture techniques. Warm-water fisheries can be enhanced and created in cooperation and coordination with the management of salmon and trout fisheries. The fishing public has a high interest in expanded warm-water fishing opportunities. The myriad of problems facing the anadromous fish stocks has intensified the need for development of other recreational fishing opportunities, and warm-water fisheries are a prime candidate for expansion.

The development of modern warm-water fish culture techniques has occurred in other regions of the United States and in other regions of the world. Warm-water fish culture has been little used by Washington state primarily due to warm-water fisheries being overshadowed by abundant salmonid fisheries. The application of proven warm-water fish culture techniques has a great deal of promise for fisheries enhancement within suitable state waters.

A lack of suitable warm-water fish culture sites is a constraining factor upon the timely development of an active warm-water fish culture program. The United States department of energy 100-K area water purification pools, which are an extensive capital development that is now not needed by the department of energy, are now available to complement and be integrated with department warm-water fishery plans and programs. The K pools have significant potential for early warm-water fish culture opportunities while providing for cost savings because little, if any, capital is needed to make this facility operational. The Yakima Indian nation has cultured salmonids and sturgeon at the site during the last two years and is interested in expanding its fish culture operations at the K pools. This will preclude the need for additional state personnel to staff the facility. The combination of extensive existing capital facilities and highly skilled and motivated people create a unique opportunity for development of a new and worthwhile partnership that will benefit the fish resources and the people of the state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The primary objective of the Hanford K pool warm-water fish culture demonstration program is to establish a cooperative effort between state and private entities to initiate the rearing of warm-water fish to begin the enhancement of public recreational fisheries in a very cost-effective manner. The concept of using the existing Hanford K pools, which are under the control of the Yakima Indian nation for fish-rearing purposes, is attractive since this facility can rapidly be brought into operation and can easily be made to complement a department warm-water hatchery program, when this comes into being. The K pool demonstration project must use proven tank-rearing culture methods, but will include novel technologies for water heating, clean up, and recirculation. The state will provide seed funding to get the demonstration program started. Cost-sharing by other public and private entities is expected to fund the completion of the program. Warm-water fry or fingerlings from private and public hatcheries, procured on the basis of fish quality and cost, can be grown out in the K pool environment to suitable size and condition for placing in public waters. A K pool demonstration grow-out program will provide impetus to get: (1) Diverse state and private fishing interests to work together for the common good; (2) the necessary inland fish management planning well underway so that K pool-reared fish can be planted in central Washington lakes; and (3) the department warm-water hatchery constructed and operational. The number and species of fish to be grown out in the K pool demonstration program and the planting scenarios for individual bodies of water must be determined by the department based on its preliminary plans in this area taking into consideration the advice of the central Washington warm-water advisory group created in section 3 of this act to guide this demonstration program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The principals that will jointly implement and manage the K pool demonstration program are the Yakima Indian nation, the Westinghouse Hanford company, and the department. A central Washington warm-water advisory group is created to advise the principals in the development of the K pool demonstration project and to report to the fish and wildlife commission and appropriate legislative committees on the performance of this warm-water fishery endeavor. The central Washington warm-water advisory group consists of one representative of each of the following:

(a) The department;

(b) Washington State University;

(d) Westinghouse Hanford company, the United States department of energy Hanford maintenance and operations contractor;

(e) The inland fish advisory group;

(f) The northwest sport fishing industry association;

(g) The Washington state bass angler sportsmen's society federation;

(h) A northwest marine trade association;

(i) The Washington fish growers association; and

(j) The central Washington fish advisory committee.

(2) The central Washington warm-water advisory group must invite other interested parties to participate in its activities.

(3) The central Washington warm-water advisory group must contribute to and review plans for potential locations for planting of the warm-water fish reared by the Hanford K pool warm-water fish culture demonstration program. This review must consider such things as warm-water fish species for culture, planting times, size of outplanted fish, disease history, genetic considerations, and procedures for preventing interaction with anadromous fish. The central Washington warm-water advisory group must make recommendations to the department related to maximizing the recreational fishing benefits of the program.

(4) The central Washington warm-water advisory group must provide advice on: (a) Potential private and public hatchery resources for providing juvenile fish for the program; (b) warm-water fish-rearing techniques; and (c) methods of maximizing recreational fishing opportunities from outplanted warm-water fish. The central Washington warm-water advisory group must also evaluate options for establishing future funding mechanisms for sustained warm-water fish grow-out and over-wintering program at the Hanford K pools.

(5) The central Washington warm-water advisory group must report its findings to the appropriate legislative committees by December 1, 1996.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The state must provide initial funds for a contract with the Yakima Indian nation to conduct a warm-water fish culture demonstration project at the Hanford K pool facilities. Information from this demonstration project will identify opportunities for development of a Hanford K pool program into sustained production status, and will show areas needed for further study. The eventual goal is for the K pool portion of a warm-water fish culture program to be productive, cost-effective, and self-sustaining from a funding perspective.

The demonstration project ends June 30, 1999.

Sec. 5. RCW 75.50.080 and 1993 sp.s. c 2 s 47 are each amended to read as follows:

Regional fisheries enhancement groups, consistent with the long-term regional policy statements developed under RCW 75.50.020, shall seek to:

(1) Enhance the salmon resource of the state;

(2) Maximize volunteer efforts and private donations to improve the salmon resource for all citizens;

(3) Assist the department in achieving the goal to double the state-wide salmon catch by the year 2000 under chapter 214, Laws of 1988; ((~~and~~))

(4) Develop projects designed to supplement the fishery enhancement capability of the department; and

(5) Enhance the warm-water fisheries resource in areas of central and eastern Washington that are not accessible to anadromous fish.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1997, from the state wildlife fund to the fish and wildlife commission for the central Washington warm-water advisory group created under section 3 of this act to provide advice for the Hanford K pool demonstration program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The sum of one hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1997, from the state wildlife fund to the department of fish and wildlife to contract with the Yakima Indian nation to conduct the demonstration warm-water fish culture project at the Hanford K pool site created under section 4 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Sections 1 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 75.50 RCW.