BILL ANALYSIS
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| SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER |
| Senator Fran Pavley, Chair |
| 2009-2010 Regular Session |
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BILL NO: SB 778 HEARING DATE: April 28, 2009
AUTHOR: Wiggins URGENCY: No
VERSION: April 2, 2009 CONSULTANT: Bill Craven
DUAL REFERRAL: No FISCAL: Yes
SUBJECT: Commercial fishing: salmon stamp.
BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW
Many hunting and fishing groups have helped to bolster the
revenues of the Department of Fish and Game by supporting the
sale of additional "stamps" for specific game and fish species
that are sold in conjunction with individual hunting and fishing
licenses or commercial fishing licenses. There are specific
stamps for several species of fish and game mammals.
Revenues from the sales of these stamps are generally intended
to benefit the specific species for which the stamp was sold.
The revenues from many of these species-specific stamps go into
separate accounts at the Department of Fish and Game. There has
been concern in the past that the department, caught in a cycle
of decreasing General Fund and other revenues, has not
accurately accounted for these revenues. This Committee will
consider another bill, SB 589 (Harman) that considers changes to
some of the provisions pertaining to stamps for game animals.
This bill, however, is limited to salmon.
The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations (PCFFA)
has traditionally supported the salmon stamp program because the
revenues are directed to supporting the freshwater production of
young salmon. The salmon stamp was first adopted in California
in 1979. At the time, it amounted to a $30 increase over the
cost of a basic commercial fishing license. In 1982, the program
was expanded to include salmon habitat restoration work, and the
cost of the stamp increased based on the amount of salmon that
was caught, but its cost was capped at a maximum of $215 per
season. The funds were to be spent by the department only on
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salmon-related activities. Presently, the cap on the stamp is
$260 and commercial passenger fishing (sport fishing) vessels
also participate. The funding is allocated to projects
recommended by the Commercial Salmon Trollers Advisory
Committee.
PROPOSED LAW
This bill increases to $350 the price of a commercial salmon
fishing permit.
It contains findings and declarations concerning the importance
of salmon in California, the economic activity that the industry
represents, and calls attention to the various circumstances
that have resulted in an extension through 2009 of the total ban
on commercial salmon fishing in California that originated in
2008. The Pacific Fishery Management Council formalized the 2009
ban in April. It is well-known that many of the current salmon
species that remain in California are facing an extinction
crisis. The ban is because of the extremely low number of
returning Central Valley Fall Chinook salmon into the Sacramento
River system. The Governor has issued an emergency declaration.
The bill also contains a statement of legislative intent that
requests an accounting of salmon stamp revenues from the
Department of Fish and Game.
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT
According to the PCFFA, the salmon stamp program has supported a
highly successful broodstock program for Sacramento winter-run
salmon that were near extinction in the 1990's. The funds have
also been useful in leveraging other state, federal, and private
funds for salmon restoration.
PCFFA is very interested in an accounting of the funds by the
department. It also supports the shift away from a sliding scale
since salmon landings in the past few years have been erratic at
best, due to closed salmon seasons or seasons with very low
catch. The bill establishes a flat rate for the salmon stamp to
ease accounting problems with the department.
SUPPORT
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations
OPPOSITION
None Received
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