FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1485

                         C 414 L 97

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Requiring the department of fish and wildlife to report to the legislature regarding salmon harvests.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by  Representatives Linville, Buck, Hatfield, Chandler, Cooper, Sump, Regala, Butler, Anderson, Doumit, Morris, Sheldon, Tokuda, Kessler, Scott, Blalock and Dickerson).

House Committee on Natural Resources

Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Parks

Background:  Federal court orders have established the basis for allocating salmon and steelhead harvests between treaty tribal and non-tribal entities in the state.  Key provisions of this allocation include the following:  1) the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the treaty tribes must cooperatively manage harvests under the continuing jurisdiction of the federal courts;  2) treaty tribes are allowed the opportunity to catch up to 50 percent of the harvestable salmon;  3) harvestable salmon are generally those fish that remain after deducting for spawning escapement;  4) harvest allocation decisions must be made for each river and each fish run in that river unless otherwise agreed;  and 5) wastage of fish should not occur.  Most allocation agreements for tribal and non-tribal harvests are made following a series of public meetings known as the "North of Falcon" process.

Federal court orders also require that tribal and non-tribal entities keep harvest records to ensure equity in allocating salmon and to promote sound management.  The department maintains this information in a highly technical form that is not easily readable by the public.

Summary:  The Department of Fish and Wildlife is required to submit an annual post-harvest report to the Legislature identifying how salmon and steelhead harvests were allocated among treaty tribal and non-tribal fishers for the preceding season.  Additionally, the report must identify policies that result in a less than full harvest for non-tribal fishers and specify the location and quantity of salmon and steelhead harvested under the wastage provisions of the federal court orders.  The report is due by September 1st of each year.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  93 0

Senate 46 0 (Senate amended)

House  97 0 (House concurred)

Effective:July 27,  1997