SENATE BILL REPORT
SSB 5443
As Passed Senate, February 16, 2001
Title: An act relating to commercial salmon licenses.
Brief Description: Changing required renewal dates in order to validly renew certain commercial fishing licenses.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Parks & Shorelines (originally sponsored by Senators Spanel, Jacobsen and Kohl‑Welles; by request of Department of Fish and Wildlife).
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Natural Resources, Parks & Shorelines: 1/29/01, 1/31/01 [DPS].
Passed Senate: 2/16/01, 43-0.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, PARKS & SHORELINES
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5443 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators Jacobsen, Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Constantine, McDonald, Morton, Oke, Snyder and Stevens.
Staff: Ross Antipa (786‑7413)
Background: Commercial salmon net fishing is a limited entry fishery in which licensees must renew their license annually in order to retain its validity. There is a statutory provision which allows opting not to fish, payment of $115, suspending the license for one year, and allowing renewal the following year.
Existing law requires the salmon net fisher to elect by August 1 the renewal or suspension option. If the deadline was extended to September 16, then fishers could make their decision to fish based on more complete salmon run size estimates and other considerations.
Summary of Bill: The annual deadline for commercial salmon net fishers to renew or suspend their license is extended from August 1 to the third Monday in September.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 23, 2001.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: Delaying the renewal deadline for commercial fishers would assist them in determining if they would actively fish or opt to suspend their license based on up‑to‑date salmon run information.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: PRO: Bruce Crawford, Josh Weiss, Dept. of Fish and Wildlife; Will Roehl, Fish and Wildlife Commission; Ed Owens, Purse Seiners Vessel Owners.
House Amendment(s): Commercial salmon fishers 75 years of age or older, who have fished with a resident commercial salmon fishery license for at least 20 years, shall pay a reduced annual license fee of $100. Current license fees for resident commercial salmon fishery licenses range from $380 to $530. In addition, the $100 annual surcharge for regional fisheries enhancement group salmon recovery programs is waived for these individuals.