2009 STATEWIDE BOARD OF GAME PROPOSAL 42

5 AAC 92.220 Salvage of game meat, furs, and hides.

November, 2009

The Alaska Board of Game will consider the statewide regulatory proposals at its Winter, 2010 meeting to be held January 29 – February 1, 2010 at the Egan Civic and Convention Center, in Anchorage, Alaska.

After reviewing the proposal, please send written comments to:

ATTN: Board of Game Comments, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Boards Support Section, P.O. Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526, Fax: 907-465-6094

A roadmap detailing the tentative order in which proposals will be made available in January, 2010 at http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/ .

Updated Status of the Meeting: After the board meeting begins, a recorded telephone message will provide current updates on the board's agenda and schedule. Dial (800) 764-8901 (in Juneau, call 465-8901).

A link to a live audio broadcast of the meeting will be available at: http://boards.adfg.state.ak.us/gameinfo/index.php on the day of the meeting. This link will not function when the board is not in session. Board actions will also be posted on the website shortly after the meeting.

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PROPOSAL 42 - 5 AAC 92.220 Salvage of game meat, furs, and hides.

Modify the salvage requirement as follows:

You may not waste the edible meat of any unspoiled wildlife in Alaska, nor permit it to be wasted or spoiled nor permit it to be used in a manner not normally (or historically or culturally) associated with its beneficial use (for example, use of salmon fillets as fertilizer would be considered waste). Another form of waste explicitly prohibited would be to cause the death of any Alaskan wildlife without harvesting it, (i.e., retrieving it from the field). ‘Waste’ as defined herein can be caused by an action by anyone in the State of Alaska, and can additionally be defined to be possible as the result of an inaction of any person harvesting/taking wildlife or attempting to do so.”

A possible alternative is to not explicitly define “waste” herein and instead leave that up to local interpretation.

ISSUE:

Currently it is legal in Alaska to waste animal resources after they have been harvested and retrieved from the field. It isn’t in Alaskan outdoorsmen’s best interests for this to be legal.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF NOTHING IS DONE?

Many to most other states prohibit the wasting of harvested wildlife. It is well known that all citizens make our laws – including hunting/fishing/trapping laws – though the majority of citizens do not participate in hunting/fishing themselves. There are hunters/fishermen, non-hunters/fishermen, and anti-hunters/fishermen. It is well-known that the “nons” do become “antis” if they perceive participants to be acting irresponsibly. Waste is by definition irresponsible. Therefore, it is in the hunter’s/fishermen’s best interest – to best preserve our rights to continue our present activities – that we actively take anti-waste stand, and that the letter of the law be anti-waste oriented.

WILL THE QUALITY OF THE RESOURCE HARVESTED OR PRODUCTS PRODUCED BE IMPROVED?

Yes, waste is detrimental to quality, so eliminating the legal waste of wildlife improves the quality of wildlife that is both alive and that which has been taken.

WHO IS LIKELY TO BENEFIT?

Everyone involved in any activity that involves the taking of wildlife. Anyone that hunts/fishes and wants those activities to continue.

WHO IS LIKELY TO SUFFER?

Anyone that wastes wildlife in Alaska. If anyone suffers that is wasting wildlife in a manner that is not detrimental for us all somehow, then they should get an explicit waiver from this rule by making their own exception to it, in the regulations.

OTHER SOLUTIONS CONSIDERED?

Doing nothing. But it’s seen as preferable to the image of Alaskan outdoorsmen and to best preserve our present rights to actively take an anti-waste stand on this issue.

(HQ-10W-G-037)

This page has been excerpted from the book of current statewide BOG proposals that can be found at http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/gameinfo/meetinfo/2009-2010/statewide09/statewide09props.pdf