Denby S. Lloyd, Commissioner
Jennifer Yuhas, Communications Director
P.O. Box115526
Juneau, Alaska 99811
Phone: (907) 465-6137 • Fax: (907) 465-2332
Press Release: No. 09-11, April 20, 2009
Contact: Jennifer Yuhas (907) 465-6137
2009 Legislative Session Report:
Sportfish Guide Licensing Program Reauthorized One Year
(Juneau) – A program which provides valuable information necessary for the management of Alaska’s fisheries, and maintains minimum professional standards for sportfishing guides, was reauthorized this legislative session.
SB177, sponsored by Senator Kevin Meyer sought to repeal the sunset on this program for sportfishing guides which would have caused it to cease January 1, 2010.
The licensing program requires minimum standards for professional guides such as CPR certification and insurance coverage in an effort to provide public safeguards, but also requires harvest reporting to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
The legislation was amended to provide five more years of licensing requirements in the Senate Resources Committee, and further amended by the House Finance Committee to extend the program for only a single year.
Provisions were also added to the legislation relating to the in-season emergency replacement hire of Kenai River sportfishing guides.
The Division of Sportfish intends to implement an electronic reporting system, as a high prority assignment from Commissioner Denby Lloyd to augment the existing logbook program, over the next year and a half. This advancement in reporting is expected to reduce overall program costs and increase the department’s access to in-season and end of season information needed to make responsive management decisions.
###
