House Bill 358 would establish a "fisheries bycatch tax." The sponsors are Rep. Mark Neuman, R-Big Lake, and Rep. Les Gara, D-Anchorage.
House Bill 366 would establish "regional community permit banks" for certain commercial fishing permits. The sponsor is Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, D-Sitka.
Nice word play. Too bad the first word "NO" in the Constitutions Limited Entry Act mean's Yes to the Yale dropout.
ReplyDeleteHouse Bill 366 proposes to delete the language that prohibits corporations from owning limited entry permits. Letting "banks" lease permits totally redefines what's going to be limited.
ReplyDeleteNew guy needs a market? He gonna hear... "Sorry, we are only taking new boats from the bank fleet. We have to support the community first, you know."
Sec 24.AS 16.43.990(7)
Permit banks? What is floating around in the air up in Alaska. My my, you want to go back to the company store of corporate ownership that we broke away from 40 years ago with limited entry, will you people just look at what you are doing and realize all these efforts are totally against the individual fisherman. Sure we need more local community individuals and families involved in fisheries yet permit banks and coorprate ownership is not the answer. I believe BBEDC is one of the backers of this plan, they easily can buy permits for local families and individual yet I guess are scared the people will just turn around and sell them? What's the just here, do these people really want to be involved in the fisheries? Big disconnect with this plan and the people backing it. Look at where this could lead and don't be so short sighted.
ReplyDelete552 Right On, You hit the nail on the head with your comment.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a hell of an idea. Then we can take another lesson from those Alaska residents who lease out Washington fishing licenses, just check the non-resident box, for spreading out the economic opportunity for those who don't want to own.
ReplyDeleteSome people should spend some time in the leasing offices of WDFW, where "every person" is a "natural person" and any "individual" can own a permit bank, or not.
William H. Seward's Fourteenth Amendment, does not confuse Olympia, like Sitka, or Dillingham.
"An alternate operator license alone does not allow an individual to operate a vessel and or sell catch to a licensed wholesale dealer. Only those operators shown on the plastic fishery card may operate the designated vessel in that fishery."
APPLICATION FEES ARE NON REFUNDABLE
http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/commercial/forms/alternat.pdf
Makes you wonder if these backers have anything to do with corporate salmon farms. To allow corporations that are invested in salmon farming to have access and control of entry permits at any level is a foot in the door to aquaculture. Do your home work and see who is really behind this.
ReplyDeleteMake no mistake; the architect of this legislation is the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation, (BBEDC). Yet, they have maintained a relatively low profile, allowing a representative from Sitka, Mr. Kreiss-Tomkins, do their bidding for them in the legislature.
ReplyDeleteWhat BBEDC is after is to remove all financial risk, and control upwards of 3% of the Bristol Bay drift and set net permits. Currently, they could cosign on a note at CFAB (who can collateralize a permit) for potential fishery participants, but if there were a default, BBEDC would be liable for whatever balance is owed, once the permit has been repossessed and sold.
Under this new legislation, BBEDC can own permits, lease them out and claw them back at any time. Virtually no risk. While those who are currently juggling two permits on a Bristol Bay operation, must completely expose themselves as they place permits in the names of crew.
BBEDC, seeking to create a risk-free opportunity for them, while the risk is in full-bloom for everyone else, seems a bit unfair. Not too mention the notion of corporate ownership. Canfisco, in Vancouver, BC is a current example of corporate ownership, with sharecropper status to the fishermen being the potential outcome.
As for the personal permit bank ( juggling two permits on a Bristol Bay operation, must completely expose themselves as they place permits in the names of crew.) I wonder how many Robin Samuelson and Robert Heyano have in there control? Corporate ownership, don't forget about Ocean beauty , aren't they fairly close to the BBEDC?
ReplyDeleteThe dual permits isn't doing what was meant to do. It"s an easy solution , get rid of the dual permit!There would be a fire sale on Bristol bay permits . Free market would put Bristol bay permits around $15,000.00 , $0.40 was low in 2002 ? That would be a fair price for a watershed resident or state resident or any other interested buyer.
If this were happen then i would think the new owners would have to have a market . Consolidation of the processors has closed that door . BBEDC would have to create a new market for the watershed populace . Wouldn't that create jobs , opportunity, and competition . Exactly what the BBEDC should be doing.
They want to establish permit banks so that locals would have a chance to enter the fishery, did they ask the locals if they're interested? I doubt if they are, watersheds sold their permits long time ago, smart move, do you want to fish again? Or are you being forced to fish? If you want to fish go buy a permit like the rest of us, you're afraid of people coming from lower 48 to fish on D boats, you're against permit stacking but you want a permit bank for yourself, bull shit! Make it fair for all the groups and stop getting anything you want all the time, earn it yourself!!
ReplyDeleteIt's your boy JKT, how are you liking him now Bobby?
ReplyDeleteI am a third generation fisherman from SE Alaska, have fished for 45 years and am financially invested in our industry. Not one time in 45 years have I ever seen it be difficult to buy a limited entry permit. Its an open market system and nothing stopping you from buying in... Get off the tit..
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