Title: An act relating to a Washington coastal Dungeness crab pot buoy tag program.

Brief Description: Creating a Washington coastal Dungeness crab pot buoy tag program.

Sponsors: Senator Doumit.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation: 2/28/05, 3/2/05 [DP-WM].

Ways & Means: 3/4/05, 3/7/05 [DP, DNP, w/oRec].

Passed Senate: 3/16/05, 38-8.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, OCEAN & RECREATION

Majority Report: Do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.Signed by Senators Jacobsen, Chair; Doumit, Vice Chair; Oke, Ranking Minority Member; Fraser, Hargrove, Morton, Spanel, Stevens and Swecker.

Staff: Vic Moon (786-7469)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Prentice, Chair; Doumit, Vice Chair; Fraser, Vice Chair; Brandland, Fairley, Kohl-Welles, Pflug, Pridemore, Rasmussen, Regala, Rockefeller, Schoesler and Thibaudeau.

Minority Report: Do not pass.Signed by Senator Roach.

Minority Report: That it be referred without recommendation.Signed by Senators Zarelli, Ranking Minority Member; Hewitt and Parlette.

Staff: Kirstan Arestad (786-7708)

Background: The commercial Dungeness crab fishery in the Puget Sound uses a crab pot buoy marking system to help regulate the fishery. The coastal fishery does not use the marking system and the complexity of the coastal fishery could be simplified if a tag program were established.

Summary of Bill: A commercial crab pot buoy program is established and an account is set up to hold the revenue from the fishers payment of a fee to cover the Department of Fish and Wildlife's cost for the tags.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For (Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation): Authorizing a fee for crab pot buoy tags is necessary to get a program started. The coastal crab fleet needs greater control over the harvest and changes in both state law and federal regulations and agreements will be necessary.

Testimony Against (Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation): None.

Who Testified (Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation): PRO: Dale Beasley, Columbia River Crab Fishers Association; Ray Toste, Washington Dungeness Crab Fishing Association; Ed Owens, Coalition of Coastal Fisheries; Phil Anderson, Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Testimony For (Ways & Means): None.

Testimony Against (Ways & Means): None.

Who Testified (Ways & Means): No one.

House Amendment(s): The Department of Fish and Wildlife must annually review the costs of the tags and pass on savings to the tag purchasers.

Passed House: 95-0.