BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
21 (Simitian)
Hearing Date: 05/28/2009 Amended: 3/25/2009
Consultant: Brendan McCarthy Policy Vote: NR&W 8-2
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SB 21 (Simitian)
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BILL SUMMARY: SB 21 would require the Department of Fish and
Game and the Ocean Protection Council to reduce the impact of
derelict fishing gear in state and coastal waters, by collecting
information on the location of lost gear. This bill would also
require the Department and the Council to recommend a fund
source for future prevention and recovery activities. This bill
would also require the Council to prioritize existing derelict
fishing gear for future recovery.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11 2012-13 Fund
Collecting information $25 $50 Special
*
Enforcement of reporting
$200Special **
Providing tags for fishing gear
UnknownSpecial ***
* Fish and Game Preservation Fund. (Currently these activities
are performed by a private organization funded, in part, with
state bond funds.)
** Fish and Game Preservation Fund.
*** Fish and Game Preservation Fund, could be fully offset with
fee increases.
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STAFF COMMENTS: Suspense File.
SB 21 intends to reduce the impacts of derelict fishing gear in
state and coastal waters. By January 2011, this bill requires
the Department of Fish and Game and the Ocean Protection Counsel
to recommend a sustainable funding source for the prevention and
recovery of derelict fishing gear, as well as requiring the
department to publicize methods for fisherman to report lost
fishing gear.
By July 2012, this bill requires fisherman to report lost
fishing gear to the department and requires the department to
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SB 21 (Simitian)
develop a database of derelict fishing gear. Staff notes that a
private organization currently maintains such a database,
supported in large part with state bond funds. Also, the
department states that an additional law enforcement position
will be required to ensure that found derelict gear was reported
to the department, as required.
By July 2012, this bill requires that all traps and trawl nets
deployed in waters of the state be tagged in a manner prescribed
by the department, such that the owner of the gear can be
identified if it becomes derelict. Staff notes that the state of
Washington has a similar, but smaller program. Tags are provided
by the state, with the cost of about $1 per tag paid by licensed
fishermen. The number of traps and trawl nets used in California
is unknown. If the department were to distribute tags, it could
cause unknown cost pressures on the Fish and Game Preservation
Fund (although these cost pressures could be offset with
increased fee revenues). Staff recommends the bill be amended to
clarify whether the department would be responsible for
procuring and distributing tags and if so, the funding source
for doing so.
By January 2013, and annually thereafter, this bill requires the
Council to prioritize derelict fishing gear for removal to
achieve reduction targets established by the Council. This bill
does not require either the department of the Council to
undertake projects to remove derelict fishing gear.
This bill allows the department to accept outside funds for the
implementation these activities. The bill also allows the
department to contract with outside providers for services
required under the bill, if the department does not have
sufficient personnel to perform those duties.