FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5443

C 244 L 01

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Changing the renewal of 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).

Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Parks & Shorelines

House Committee on Natural Resources

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:  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.

Commercial salmon fishers 75 years of age or older, who have fished with a resident commercial salmon fishery license for at least 30 years in an area other than Puget Sound, pay a reduced annual license fee of $100, a reduction from the current level of $380.  The $100 annual surcharge for regional fisheries enhancement group salmon recovery programs is not waived for these individuals.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate430

House     95 0 (House amended)

Senate      (Senate refused to concur)

House     94 0 (House amended)

Senate    40 0 (Senate concurred)

Effective:  July 22, 2001