FINAL BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5360

                           C 76 L 97

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Providing commercial salmon fishers with a license renewal process when they opt to not renew for a season.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Parks (originally sponsored by Senators Hargrove, Anderson, Spanel, Swecker, Haugen, Oke, Snyder and Kline).

Senate Committee on Natural Resources

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

House Committee on Natural Resources

Background:  Currently, no new commercial salmon fishing licenses may be issued.  A person may renew an existing license only if the person held a license during the previous year or acquired a license by transfer from a prior license holder.  The deadline for renewal is December 31 of the license year.

The prior license requirement can be waived if the department does not allow any opportunity for a commercial fishery or if, during the calendar year, no harvest opportunity occurs in the corresponding fishery.  License fees are refunded if the department does not allow an opportunity for a commercial fishery.

Similarly, no new salmon charter boat licenses may be issued.  A person may renew an existing license only if the person held a license during the previous year or acquired a license by transfer from a prior license holder.

The prior salmon charter boat license requirement can be waived only if, during the calendar year, no harvest opportunity occurs in the corresponding fishery.

Summary:  If a commercial salmon fishing license holder notifies the department by May 1 that he or she will not participate in the fishery during that calendar year and pays the $100 enhancement surcharge plus an additional $15 handling charge, a commercial salmon fishing license may be renewed the following year.

If a commercial salmon gillnet, reef net, or seine fishing license holder notifies the department by August 1 that he or she will not participate in the fishery during that calendar year and pays the $100 enhancement surcharge plus an additional $15 handling charge, a commercial salmon charter boat license may be renewed the following year.

If a salmon charter boat license holder notifies the department by May 1 that he or she will not participate in the fishery during that calendar year and pays the $100 enhancement surcharge plus an additional $15 handling charge, a salmon charter boat license may be renewed the following year.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 46 0

House     98 0

Effective:  April 19, 1997