HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESSB 5036

As Amended by the House

BYSenate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Senator Rasmussen)

Restricting sale of surplus salmon eggs by the department of fisheries.

House Committe on Natural Resources

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (19)

      Signed by Representatives Sutherland, Chair; K. Wilson, Vice Chair; Amondson, Basich, Beck, Belcher, Bumgarner, Butterfield, Cole, Dorn, Fuhrman, Hargrove, Haugen, Meyers, Sayan, Schmidt, C. Smith, Spanel and S. Wilson.

House Staff:Bill Koss (786-7129)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 3, 1988

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Fisheries is authorized to sell surplus salmon eggs for use in salmon aquaculture.  The Department sold approximately $450,000 worth of surplus salmon eggs in 1987.

By rule, Fisheries establishes a priority for egg sales.  Eggs deemed surplus to natural spawning escapements and hatchery needs shall first be made available to voluntary cooperative salmon culture programs, state, federal, or private hatcheries.  Eggs may not be sold to them.  The state may sell to other organizations in the following order:  in-state aquaculturists; private Oregon sea ranchers; Alaska and California hatcheries; other state, federal, or private aquaculturists not qualifying as transferees or exchangees; and foreign governments.

Rules limit the quantity of eggs Fisheries may sell to an applicant before eggs may be offered to the next qualified applicant.  The limit is one million.  Fisheries requires prioritization of applications and priority goes to sales with the greatest likelihood of benefit to Washington.

Some persons are concerned that the Department is selling salmon eggs that could be used for salmon propagation projects within watersheds that are not at full productive capacity.

SUMMARY:

The sale of surplus salmon eggs is limited to those stocks not suitable for salmon population rehabilitation in Washington.  The Department shall assess the productivity of each watershed to determine the potential uses of salmon eggs prior to declaring the eggs surplus.  No salmon eggs may be sold as surplus if there is a suitable watershed that is not at full productive capacity.

The Salmon Enhancement Advisory Council must consider egg sales at each meeting.

Fiscal Note:      No Impact.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Senator Metcalf; Ray Nelson, representing commercial fishermen and consumers; Toimi Maki, Grays Harbor Gillnetters; John Kelly, King County Outdoor Sports Council; Steve Arbaugh, Puget Sound Gillnetters; Greg Mueller, Pacific Trollers; and Kahler Martinson, Washington Department of Fisheries.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The Northwest Power Planning Council is working to double the salmon runs in the Columbia River Basin by the year 2000. Washington could accomplish similar increases if Fisheries would reduce its program of selling salmon eggs out of the state. Fisheries regularly denies volunteer groups, that wish to set out egg boxes, access to surplus eggs.  Fisheries can live with the bill.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.