UFA Legislative Update: March 1, 2019

Dear UFA Members and Friends,

In this issue:

  • **LAST CALL**UFA Seeking Nominations/Applications for At-Large UFA Board Members
  • Hatchery Comments for Upcoming BOF Hatchery Committee Meeting
  • **Legislative Happenings from this Week**
  • **Legislative Meetings of Interest for Next Week**
  • How to Testify, Watch, or Listen to a Hearing
  • Bills Related for Fisheries, and other Bills of Interest to Fishermen

**LAST Call for Nominations UFA At-Large Members**
UFA’s Nominations are now open for UFA Board for At-Large Members!If you are an individual or Lifetime members and would like to apply, please visit our website and fill out a nomination form.  Deadline for Nominations is Today, Friday, March 1!

Hatchery Comments for Upcoming BOF Hatchery Committee Meeting
The Board of Fisheries will be holding a public Hatchery Committee meeting in Anchorage on March 8.The deadline for on-time comments has passed, but there is still an opportunity to submit comments to the BOF for consideration on the importance of hatcheries to our state.You may fax comments (up to 10 pages single-sided) to the BOF at 907-465-6094 or you may deliver them 21 copies at the meeting.Don’t have a fax?Use a free online faxing service like Fax Zero.

-Frances Leach, Executive Director



Legislation – Happenings from this week on fishery related bills we are tracking. (February 25 – March 1)

House Fisheries Committee– Gruenberg 120
The House Fisheries Committee had a presentation by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s (ASMI) Interim Executive Director, Jeremy Woodrow, about ASMI itself, a market update, as well as an analysis of the harvest value, volume, and competition in relation to the Alaska seafood industry. Watch Here.



Legislative Meetings of interest for this weekend and the week of March 4 – March 8, 2019.

Tuesday, March 5, 10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
House Fisheries Committee– Gruenberg 120

  • 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. the Department of Fish and Game Finance Subcommittee will have a presentation on the fiscal outlook, as well as a budget overview. *Note that all members of the House Special Committee on Fisheries are also members of the Department of Fish and Game Finance Subcommittee.*
  • 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. the House Special Committee on Fisheries will hear a presentation by the Dean of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks titled “Building Alaska’s Blue Economy – Alaska’s College of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences

Thursday, March 7, 10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
House Fisheries Committee– Gruenberg 120

  • Confirmation Hearing: Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Designee, Doug Vincent-Lang

            Public Testimony 

  • HB 35– Conflict of Interest: Board of Fisheries/Game

Please feel free to track bills in The Bill Tracking Management Facility (BTMF).



To testify, watch or listen in to a hearing …To testify it’s best to go to a Legislative Information office – see them online at http://akleg.gov/lios.php . If you can’t get to an LIO you can call in to listen in or testify through the following numbers – call & ask for the specific committee hearing:

  • From Anchorage based phones call 907-563-9085;
  • From Juneau based phones or outside Alaska call 907-586-9085;
  • From other areas of Alaska, call toll-free 844-586-9085…and ask for the specific hearing.

To watch hearings online go to legislative home page at http://w3.akleg.gov/  at the time of the hearing, and click on the “Live Now” tab, and then select the meeting.

To watch floor sessions and other hearings see Gavel to Gavel archives.

To find your legislators and contact info see http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/  – see “WHO REPRESENTS ME?” in the lower right corner of the page.



Bills related to fisheries that we are tracking, and others that may be of interest to fishermen.

SB 22  – Shellfish Enhance. Projects; Hatcheries (Stevens- Senate Finance- UFA Supports) Referred to Senate Finance with no scheduled hearings at this time.
SB 51  – Natl. Res. Water Nomination/Designation (Senate Resources – UFA Supports) Currently in Senate Resources with no scheduled hearings at this time.
SB 61  – Commercial Fishermen’s Fund: Vessel Owner Claims (Stevens – UFA Supports)
SB 63  – Fish Tax: Repeal Muni Refunds/Rev. Share (Senate Rules by Request of the Governor- UFA Opposes)
HB 35 – Conflict Of Interest: Board Fisheries/Game (Stutes – UFA Supports)
HB 41 – Shellfish Enhance. Projects; Hatcheries (Ortiz – UFA Supports)
HB 65 – Fish Tax: Repeal Muni Refunds/Rev. Share (House Rules by Request of the Governor – UFA Opposes)



Please support our business members – see links on our website
To join UFA see https://www.ufafish.org/become-a-member/



This update is made possible by the support of our Group, Business, Individual and Crew members.
To join UFA see https://www.ufafish.org/become-a-member/