FINAL BILL REPORT

HB 1772

                                  C 218 L 89

BYRepresentatives Spanel, S. Wilson, Haugen and R. King; by request of  Department of Fisheries

Renaming and defining certain species of fish.

House Committe on Fisheries & Wildlife

Senate Committee on Environment & Natural Resources

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Fisheries has jurisdiction over three broad classes of fish that include salmon and trout.  Fish under the jurisdiction of the Department of Fisheries can be commercially caught and sold.  Certain species of anadromous fish are defined as game fish which removes them from the Department of Fisheries' jurisdiction and places them under the Department of Wildlife. Game fish cannot be commercially caught and sold.

Atlantic salmon are defined as game fish.  They are an anadromous fish species commonly grown by aquaculturists in salmon net pens and are present in marine waters.  Fish sometimes escape from the pens and can become part of the marine water harvest and are incidentally caught by commercial fishers but cannot be sold.

The American Fisheries Society has updated the recognized scientific naming of some fish species.  The designations of these species in current statute do not reflect these changes.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Fisheries has jurisdiction over all species of salmon except for those classified as game fish.  The Atlantic salmon species is classified as a game fish in its landlocked form, and as such, comes under the jurisdiction of the Department of Wildlife.  Commercial sale of this species in its landlocked form is prohibited.  In any other form, Atlantic salmon is a food fish coming under the jurisdiction of the Department of Fisheries and can be caught and sold commercially.

The scientific names of cutthroat, golden, and steelhead trout are changed to conform to the nationally recognized and updated terminology.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 96   0

      Senate    43     0 (Senate amended)

      Senate    42     0 (Senate receded)

EFFECTIVE:July 23, 1989