HB3014/3013 Legislative update

[Phish_on]

House bills 3013 and 3014 (hatchery fish are wild!) have been scheduled for a hearing WEDNESDAY MARCH 14 - 1:00pm - Hearing Room "E" at the State Capitol.

If you want to speak up, you should read http://www.leg.state.or.us/comm/testify.html
and be there.

Testimony can also be submitted in writing. I am going to try to go, but I can't stick around for long ...

text of the bills - - http://www.leg.state.or.us/01reg/mea...013.intro.html
http://www.leg.state.or.us/01reg/mea...014.intro.html

for more information Phone: 503-986-1745
(Committee staff)

[This message has been edited by Phish_on (edited 03-13-2001).]

[garyk]

Thanks Phish for posting that.

It would certainly be helpful for anglers to briefly take some time out from writing posts to iFish, and instead write a letter or even an email to their respective Wash. or Ore. legislator.

If you don't make your voice heard the Legislators figure you don't care. And you can bet they're hearing from the other side who see fish, especially wild fish, as an obstacle to maximizing their profits.

As a conservative politician once noted -- "If you don't take part in the process, you simply get taken apart".

Do take a moment and speak up for fisheries conservation.

[Phish_on]

The players again are:

Jenson (chair) R-Pendleton dist.57
Lee R-Clackamas dist.10
Leonard D-Portland dist.21
King D-Mohawk Valley (where?) dist.44
Knopp R-Bend dist.54
Kruse (sponsor!) R-Roseburg dist.45
Smith R-Corbett dist.56
Tomei D-Milwaukie dist.25
Wirth D-Corvallis dist.35

If any of those is your guy (or gal) - make contact TODAY.

If you care, I mean ...

[Hoosier Daddy]

Wrote to almost all the parties on that list. Some of whom are not in my district. But what the hell. Haven't heard back from them either.

[OneLastCast]

Thanks for the update Phish-on

OneLastCast

[WheresMyBobber]

Thanks for posting this info Phish. Although the hearings are tomorrow, the votes (House and Senate) will come at a later date so there is still time to talk to your legislators. Randy Leonard is a good friend of mine and is on the committee, I'll try to reach him tomorrow and see what I can learn about the Bills.

In reading the links you posted, it leaves several questions in my mind. The first Bill looks like it will actually be a House Joint Resolution which would refer it to the voters instead of the legislative body. The second link looks like an actual Bill that will be passed/not passed by the legislature. I'm not sure why it's being addressed both ways. My second question has to do with clipping hatchery fish (even if from wild stock) for harvest - will it still be allowed? These summaries don't address that issue. I also find it interesting that these Bills are sponsored by a Republican, because "R's" are usually the last people who will sponsor a Bill that could possibly hurt business interests, and cutting back or eliminating fishing for hatchery fish will definitely hurt business interests.

I'll also contact my own Representative who also happens to be on the committe.



[This message has been edited by WheresMyBobber (edited 03-14-2001).]

[Phish_on]

Thanks, WMB. Randy is actually a co-vice-chair of the committee. You are correct that the only difference between the two is the referral clause in 3013.

I will be attending the meeting today, there will be an informational presentation by the ODFW, then the hearing. If the meeting goes long, I will not be able to testify - I have to go back to work! - but will submit it in writing anyway.

Whether the "hatchery" wild fish would be fin -clipped and harvestable is not addressed. My concern is that the legislature is not qualified to make fisheries management policy, and that a STATEWIDE policy like this should not be applied to our wide variety of waterways, and that while they are thinking about SALMON this law would apply to TROUT as well. Also, this law would do nothing to help restore habitat for wild fish to reproduce naturally - which would be my highest priority.

Anything else I should bring up ?

Your guy in Salem --- (if you're on MY side )

[OneLastCast]

Actually I don't know if we are on the same side but still ...

Ask about the frequency of use of new "wild" fish for egg production. Is it each season or will they figure one or two generations of hatchery returns are alright?
What will be the effect on NMFS listing of wild returns?
Will NMFS regulations on wild fish then conflict with hatchery production of wild fish.

Thanks
OneLastCast

[WheresMyBobber]

Phish,

I just got done making a couple calls to Salem, and am waiting for return calls.

Can you email me? My address is in my profile.

Thanks!

[finclipped]

Hey Phish On, I don't live in Oregon anymore, but I am from Roseburg and know quite a few Kruses (sponsor of the bill). Do you know the first name of this representative? If it who I think it is, I can insure everyone one on this board, we are dealing with a third generation farmer who is an intelligent person, but very much looking into there own interests, not fish.

[WheresMyBobber]

The sponsor is: Jeff Kruse(R), Roseburg.

[Phish_on]

finclipped-
It's "Jeff" http://www.leg.state.or.us/kruse/home.htm

OLC-
Good ?s I'll see what I can find out

[finclipped]

Yep, 3rd generation farmer, unfortunately it isn't the smart brother. I now Jeff works extremely hard on his farm, but my guess is that he doesn't know much about fish. His brother is a little more of a conservationist and someone I have respected in the past.

[WheresMyBobber]

I wasn't able to attend the hearing today, but I was able to get some questions and concerns to a couple committee members regarding these Bills. I just heard back from one of them stating that neither one of these Bills stands much of a chance of making it out of committee. (Bills that don't make it out of committee are DOA)

Looking forward to hearing Phish's take since he was going to the hearing.

[Phish_on]

OK.

First I must state that Jeff Kruse IMHO is both a moron and an anal orifice. Anyhooo...

Rep. Tomei read an e-mail from "one of her constituents" (good job WheresMyBobber!) - Kruse said yep hatchery fish would be finclipped, yep we'll still have fishing just like always ... 'course he would have said yep I can fly to the moon on a unicycle if he thought that was what you wanted him to say.

NO ONE had an answer for the basic question - "why is legislature making fish management policy that should be left to ODF&W?" The implication was that the agency is inherently evil and only wants to prolong species recovery out of self-interest 'cause they're getting rich on it yadda yadda yadda.

It was recognized that the bills as introduced would require a lot of amendment and added details. It not as cut-and-dried as it is written. Actually it's based on a fairly good idea of wild broodstock programs.

The point ODFW tried to make was OK, we already working on that ...

The committee heard testimony from ODF&W, Oregon Trout, some fishy-science think-tank (sorry didn't get that name), NW Sportfishing Industry/NW Steelheaders, Columbia Intertribal Fish Commission, Farmers and Cattlemen (wild fish are first on their list OF COURSE oh yeah!), and Fish Restoration and Enhancement something-or-other.

Oh and little old me. Joe Fisherman. I like to hope that the lawmakers appreciate a visit from someone who isn't a lobbyist or a bureaucrat. Now, really, I had my coat and tie at home but I forgot to put it in the car (you don't expect me to WEAR that get-up?) OOPS but I figured I'd just go with the regular guy in Gore-Tex image. No other choice. It went OK, they even asked me a question - YIKES - I had said my opinion was that "wild fish are not raised by humans in hatcheries" and told them they needed to think about their definition of "wild" because as soon as you get to the second generation, hatchery returns are wild (trying to get at OneLastCast's question) - so Rep. Wirth (I think) asked what would be an acceptable definition for me. I said something like "well, to me, a wild fish comes out the gravel in a stream where eggs were laid by a wild fish."

I missed the informational presentation on ESA, fed vs. state rules -- it was moved to after the hearing.

I'm sure I'll keep an eye on this and see what they do. I'm going to follow up with an e-mail to everyone but Kruse (Hopeless), of course the stupid "fish-clubbing incident" came up.

That is all. Democracy kind of might sometimes work maybe.

[OneLastCast]

Phish-ONNNNN

We may not agree about some things but you did a job that is three thumbs up. I think that if a hatchery fish is wild then it should be able to spawn, however there are far to many loose ends in the bills presented.
Large KUDOOS to you for going to the legislature and presenting an informed opinion.
All my thanks for making them at least think about what they are doing.
I don't know if that was your first time (I assume probably not) it should be a lesson to everyone else that they can be heard if they just pay attention.

Thanks Again

OneLastCast

[WheresMyBobber]

Great update on the hearing today Phish! Thanks for alerting us to this Bill, and letting us know how things went. It's probably a good idea to keep an eye on these 2 Bills, but it sounds like they're pretty much dead.

You're right, our legislators do enjoy hearing from the "ordinary guy", and it sounds like you did good. They may not always vote like we want, but the process is there for us to use.

Thanks again.

[O'City Fisherman]

This is what I have found out about this bill. I have an inside person helping me with this.

This legislation he is referring to is HB 3013 and HB 3014. The only difference between the two is that 3013 refers the issue to voters at the next election and 3014 has the legislature make the decision.
Both bills require hatchery fish bred from wild stock to be treated as wild fish and allowed to spawn.
The bills received a hearing last week and Phil Donovan who represents the Northwest Sportfishing Industry, the Association of Northwest Steelheaders and the Oregon Guides and Packers Association testified against it.
Fact is, according to Phil Donovan, the issue probably will not evolve into a piece of legislation. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was instructed at the end of last session to do some work on a Native Fish Conservation Policy. With that currently evolving, we will probably see the issue of native and hatchery fish negotiated there.
The Indians support the legislation (how much or why I can’t seem to get from Angi who works directly with them).

[garyk]

Too important to scroll off, so up the hill we go.

[Phish_on]

no action on these following the hearing. The next step would be a "work session."