H-235                _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1200

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Sayan, Ballard, Zellinsky, O'Brien, Jones and Haugen

Read first time 1/18/89 and referred to Committee on Fisheries & Wildlife.

AN ACT Relating to the purchase of commercial troll licenses; adding new sections to chapter 75.30 RCW; creating a new section; providing an expiration date; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that the commercial salmon troll fishing fleet is over capitalized, containing so many vessels that a substantial number cannot operate at a profitable level.  The legislature further finds that this situation is likely to continue into the foreseeable future.  Market circumstances make it difficult for vessel owners to sell their licenses and vessels.

          The legislature continues its commitment to fostering economic diversity and the health and welfare of the fishing industry by developing a program to purchase commercial salmon troll licenses.

          The department shall strive to lengthen and stabilize seasons for sports and commercial fishermen.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     (1) The department of fisheries is authorized to purchase the salmon troll license for any vessel licensed under RCW 75.28.110(1)(c) at its fair market value.  The department may employ consultants to assist in determining the value of a license.

          (2) The department is authorized to purchase a sufficient number of licenses to allow the average salmon troll vessel to operate at a profitable level in an average year, but the number of licenses purchased shall not exceed ninety percent of the number of licenses valid in calendar year 1988.

          (3) In the event that an insufficient number of vessel owners volunteer to sell their salmon troll license to achieve the objectives of subsection (2) of this section, the department is authorized to purchase the licenses of vessels with the smallest average catch, as defined in section 3(2) of this act, until the objectives of subsection (2) of this section are met.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     (1) When the department purchases the license of a vessel the department shall work with the appropriate salmon allocation bodies to ensure that the vessel's average catch becomes allocated to the coastal or lower Columbia river sports angler catch.

          (2) For each vessel purchased by the department, the department shall determine an average catch for that vessel based on the past three years' catch information.  The average catch shall be the average number of troll caught salmon landed in Washington by that vessel.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The sum of five hundred thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the department of fisheries for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, to carry out the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     Sections 2 and 3 of this act shall expire June 30, 1995.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     Sections 2 and 3 of this act are each added to chapter 75.30 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7.     If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.