Senate panel hears setnet cooperative bill, sets aside land transfer

The Alaska Senate Resources Committee heard two bills Monday, advancing a measure to preserve traditional setnet fishing practices while setting aside a land transfer proposal pending additional information.

The committee heard House Bill 117, which would allow commercial setnet fishermen to continue operating cooperatively. The practice has existed since before statehood but recently faced enforcement challenges. The bill passed the House 39-0 and drew broad support from setnetters across Alaska, though some fishermen raised concerns about permit consolidation.

Representative Louise Stutes, who represents Kodiak, Cordova, Seward and several coastal communities, introduced the legislation. She said the bill addresses recent law enforcement interpretations that would require setnet permit holders to keep fish separate and deliver individually. She called those requirements unsafe and impractical for small-skiff operations.

"This legislation, which was brought forward by concerned stakeholders from across the state, seeks to preserve the traditional model for salmon setnet operations by continuing to allow small groups, often families in rural Alaska, to work cooperatively, commingle their fish, and have one or several permit holders deliver on behalf of the group," Stutes said.

The bill comes after enforcement actions in 2024 that highlighted conflicts between longstanding cooperative practices and statutory requirements for separate permit accounting. Alaska's limited entry system requires set gillnet permit holders to be physically present at the site and limits individuals to one permit with no more than two nets.

Matt Greening, staff to Stutes and the House Resources Committee, explained that setnet skiffs are small vessels operating in rough waters with limited hold space. Permit holders often include children and elderly family members. Requiring separate accounting and delivery for each permit would create safety risks and logistical challenges that could make many operations economically unviable, he said.

The bill requires cooperatives to register with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and directs the Board of Fisheries to establish regulations for each fishing area, including maximum permit numbers per cooperative, catch accounting procedures, and liability rules. Greening said the maximum number would likely be higher in areas like Kodiak and lower in Bristol Bay, reflecting different operational characteristics.

Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang of the Department of Fish and Game supported the bill, saying it would allow longstanding practices to continue while providing better data than the department currently receives. He noted that enforcement actions in 2024 brought to light the conflict between actual field operations and statute.