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Limited Entry Framework Wins House OK
HB 206 Process Would Permit Operators in Crab, Scallop Fisheries

(JUNEAU) - The House today passed a measure that would establish a process under which the state could issue limited entry fishing permits to the owners, but not to every operator, of fishing vessels targeting Bering Sea Korean hair crab and weathervane scallops.

Rep. Drew Scalzi (R-Homer) sponsored House Bill 206 to help the state Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC) fulfill a 1996 order from the Legislature to establish limited entry programs for the crab and scallop fisheries, which are closed to new entry under moratoriums ending in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Hair crab is an Asian delicacy, and weathervane scallops are prized for their large size.

"Under the current limited entry program, the licensed permit holder must be on board when fishing," Scalzi said. "While this works well in most fisheries, it won't for these crab and scallop fisheries because they involve large vessels that operate far offshore, and employ multiple skippers." The alternative - issuing permits to every operator on each ship - would mean too many people qualifying for a license limited program.

"If you have 10 scallop boats fishing, and we use the current system, you might end up having to give out 50 limited entry permits," Scalzi said, defeating the Legislature's original intent to limit the number of fishing effort targeting those species.

The state established limited entry fisheries for salmon in the 1970s, and federal managers began allocating halibut and sablefish on a quota basis in the 1990s. Passage of HB 206 into law would give the CFEC time to hold hearings and adopt regulations so that the new limited entry system authorized in the bill could be in place before the moratoriums expire, he said.

"This bill does not by itself implement a limited entry system," Scalzi said. "It just gives the CFEC a new tool, a different methodology for implementing a vessel-based limited entry system, and it would just apply to these two fisheries."

HB 206 moves next to the Senate for consideration.

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