Individual and Lifetime members – the UFA At-Large board election voting is underway.
Be sure to vote by the April 1 postmark deadline!
More letters from our Spring board meeting are posted in the current issues section of our website at https://www.ufafish.org/
Coming soon – Comfish Kodiak – March 30 – April 1.
USCG Vessel Documentation Heads Up
From the USCG National Vessel Documentation Center – Important Notice:
“Please be advised a processing error occurred and you may have received an additional Application for Renewal, CG-1280 for vessels expiring at the end of March 2017. If you have already received your new Certificate of Documentation which expires March 31, 2018, please disregard the second notice. We are sorry for any confusion this may have caused…”
https://www.uscg.mil/nvdc/
Also, heads up if you receive an official looking “Vessel Renewal Courtesy Notice” from “U.S. Vessel Documentation” with website and email at uscgdocumentation.us. They are not the Coast Guard and you do not have to pay more than the $26 renewal fee that the Coast Guard charges at https://www.uscg.mil/nvdc/ .
Thanks to member Katherine Cascallan for this alert.
Legislative happenings from this week:
CSHB 87 BOF Conflict of Interest passed House Resources committee and is scheduled for second reading on the House floor on Monday.
HB 56 regarding commercial fisheries loan limits was passed from House Finance and is now in Rules committee.
HB 115 – Income Tax & PFD – was heard on the House floor and is now scheduled for Monday.
The UFA Salmon habitat Information program (SHIP) presented a Lunch and Learh on Friday, March 24.
To view the video archive, see http://www.360north.org/gavel-
UFA, PSPA, ADF&G, DCCED and ASMI presented at an overview hearing in Senate Resources Committee on Friday 3/24.
The Senate Finance committee concurred with House on ADFG Budget…UFA letter on ADFG budget.
Legislative Meetings of Interest Scheduled for the week of March 27:
*Note that House Fisheries committee will not meet on Thursday this week. Chairperson Representative Stutes will be at Comfish in Kodiak.
Monday, March 27, 2017
9:00 AM – Senate Finance Committee – Room 532
SB25 – Motor Fuel Tax
HB57 – Operating Budget –
The Senate Finance Committee will continue to work on the Operating budget throughout the week.
See the bill link for additional scheduled hearings.
1:00 PM – House Judiciary Committee – Room 120
HB 42 – Relating to forfeiture and seizure of property
1:00 PM – House Resources Committee – Room 124
HB 155 – AK Mental Health Land Exchange
1:30 PM – House Finance Committee – Room 519
HB 115 Income Tax & Permanent Fund– withholding requirement on crew payments are expected to be removed from the legislation in an upcoming amendment. UFA letter
3:30 PM – Senate Resources Committee – Room 205
SB 92 – Abandoned and Derelict Vessels (Micciche)
Tuesday, March 28:
9:00 AM – House Finance Committee – Room 519
HB 115 Income Tax & Permanent Fund
10:00 AM – House Fisheries Committee – Room 120
HCR 8 – Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center
HB 76 – Mariculture revolving loan fund
HB 128 – Shellfish Enhancement projects & hatcheries
HJR 9 – Canadian Mines on Transboundary Rivers
1:30 PM – House Finance Committee – Room 519
HB 115 Income Tax & Permanent Fund
Wednesday, March 29:
1:00 PM – House Finance Committee – Room 519
HB 115 Income Tax & Permanent Fund
1:00 PM – House Resources Committee – Room 124
Confirmation hearing – Board of Fisheries – public testimony
HB 155 – AK Mental Health Land Exchange
HB 129 – Fish and Game offense, licenses, and penalties
5:30 PM – House Finance Committee – Room 519
HB 115 Income Tax & Permanent Fund
— Public Testimony <Time Limit Two Minutes> —
5:30 – 8:00 PM All Other LIOs, Off Nets
– Please arrive 15 min. early for sign-in process
– Please arrive 30 min. prior to end of allotted
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 toll free 844-586-9085 and ask to be connected to this hearing.
Thursday, March 30:
1:30 PM – House Finance Committee – Room 519
HB 115 Income Tax & Permanent fund
Friday, March 31:
1:00 PM – House Resources Committee – Room 124
HB 129 – Fish and Game offense, licenses, and penalties
-Public Testimony –
Alaska State Legislature home page: http://akleg.gov/ .
To watch committee meetings live, click on “Live Now” tab near the upper right of the legislature home page.
Bills related to fisheries, and others that may be of interest to fishermen
HCR 8 – Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center
HJR 9 – Canadian Mines on Transboundary Rivers
HJR 12 – Opposing FDA approval of GM Salmon and urging labeling
HB 14 – Leg. approval of Bristol Bay sulfide mine- Josephson
HB 17 – Establishing a fish and game conservation program/account in ADFG – Josephson
HB 19 – Ban neonicotinoid pesticides – Drummond…
HB 29 -Prohibiting sale of genetically modified fish/fish products – Tarr
HB 32 – Relating to the labeling of food; relating to the misbranding of food; requiring labeling of food produced with genetic engineering – Tarr
HB 42 – Relating to seizure of property; relating to forfeiture to the state – includes language on seizure of fishing permits…
HB 46 Procure AK Fish, Ag Prod.; Raw Milk Sales – Tarr
HB 56 Relating to limitations on certain commercial fishing loans- Ortiz
& companion bill:
SB 71 – Relating to limitations on certain commercial fishing loans – Stevens
HB 60 – Motor Fuel Tax – House Rules by Request of the Governor
HB 62 – Adoption of new regulations – would require repeal of another, except for regulations adopted by boards & commissions
SB25 – Motor Fuel Tax – Senate Rules by Request of the Governor
HB 63 Transferring duties from DCCED to Department of Revenue – Rep. Pruitt
HB 76 – Mariculture revolving loan fund…” (Rep. Ortiz)
SB 95 – Mariculture revolving loan fund – Senate Companion bill (Stevens)
HB 87 Board if Fisheries and Board of Game – Conflict of Interest
HB88 Board of Fisheries Membership – Rep. Stutes
HB 107 Fisheries enhancement permit – egg & unfed fry enhancement in same waters (Talerico)
HB 115 – Income Tax & PFD – including withholding on crew payments (House Finance)
HB 128 – Shellfish Enhance. Projects; Hatcheries (Ortiz)
HB 129 – Fish and Game offense, licenses, and penalties
HB 149 – Board of Fisheries five year cycle
HB 155 – AK Mental Health Land Exchange
SJR 3 Urging the President of the United States and the United States Congress to mitigate the harm done to the state’s seafood industry because of the withdrawal of the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement; and urging the President of the United States and the United States Congress to work to benefit and protect the state’s seafood industry – by Senator Wielechowski.
SB 92 – Abandoned and Derelict Vessels (Micciche)
Inclusion of an item does not mean that UFA endorses or agrees.
To support UFA by joining or renewing your membership, visit: www.ufafish.org/become-a-
Compiled by UFA staff and made possible by the support of UFA’s Group, Business, Individual and Crew members.
ufa@ufafish.org
PO Box 20229
Juneau AK 99802
(907) 586-2820