HOUSE BILL REPORT
SSB 5442
As Reported by House Committee On:
Natural Resources
Title: An act relating to salmon fishing gear.
Brief Description: Allowing the use of certain salmon fishing gear with an experimental fishery permit.
Sponsors: By Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Parks & Shorelines (originally sponsored by Senators Snyder, Jacobsen, Morton and Oke; by request of Department of Fish and Wildlife).
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Natural Resources: 3/30/01 [DPA].
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Brief Summary of Substitute Bill (As Amended by House Committee)
$The director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife may authorize the use of certain gear that is currently prohibited to catch salmon or steelhead when an emerging commercial fishery has been designated by the department allowing this gear.
$A person must obtain an emerging commercial fishery license and either a trial or experimental permit to utilize this new gear.
$The director must include in the report regarding the emerging fishery, information regarding the effectiveness of the gear in providing more fishing opportunity within mixed salmon stocks, along with other information related to managing wild and hatchery origin fish as a single run as an alternative to mass marking and using selective fishing gear.
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 12 members: Representatives Doumit, Democratic Co‑Chair; Sump, Republican Co‑Chair; Pearson, Republican Vice Chair; Rockefeller, Democratic Vice Chair; Buck, G. Chandler, Edwards, Eickmeyer, Ericksen, Jackley, Murray and Pennington.
Staff: Bill Lynch (786‑7092).
Background:
The use of certain fishing gear, such as fish traps and weirs are prohibited for the capture of salmon or steelhead. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is interested in testing fishing gear that allows for more selective harvest of salmon and steelhead. This gear would make it easier to avoid catching, or for the live release of, fish from depressed stocks. Some of the gear is prohibited under current statute.
Summary of Amended Bill:
The director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife may authorize the use of fish traps, fish wheels, pound nets, round haul nets, lampara nets, scow fish wheels, set nets, weirs, or other fixed appliances to catch salmon or steelhead. A person may use this gear only when an emerging commercial fishery has been designated by the director allowing this gear and the person has obtained an emerging commercial fishery license and a trial or experimental fishery permit.
The director of DFW may authorize the use of fish traps, fish wheels, pound nets, round haul nets, lampara nets, scow fish wheels, set nets, weirs, or other fixed appliances to catch salmon or steelhead. A person may use this gear only when an emerging commercial fishery has been designated by the director allowing this gear and the person has obtained an emerging commercial fishery license and a trial or experimental fishery permit.
The director=s report on the emerging commercial fishery must include information regarding the extent to which mass marking and supplementation programs have been utilized in the areas authorized for the selective fishing gear; the effectiveness of this gear in providing more fishing opportunity within mixed salmon stocks; the effectiveness of selective fishing gear in minimizing postrelease mortality for nontarget stocks and aiding the creation of niche markets; and the department=s efforts at operating hatcheries in and experimental fashion by managing wild and hatchery origin fish as a single run as an alternative to mass marking and the utilization of selective fishing gear.
The department must consult with commercial fishers, recreational fishers, regional fisheries enhancement groups, federally recognized treaty tribes with a fishing right, and other affected parties to obtain their input in preparing the emerging commercial fishery report.
Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:
An intent section is added which states that the long term intent of the Legislature is to allow naturally spawning and hatchery origin fish to be managed as a simple run. Additional information must be included in the director=s report on the emerging fishery.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date of Amended Bill: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: This bill will help ease mortality on some select stocks. The bill provides an opportunity to test other types of gear.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: (In support) Bob Gibbons and Larry Peck, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.