An Act relating to electronic monitoring of fishing vessels using trawl gear in a finfish fishery; relating to administrative areas for regulation of certain commercial set net entry permits; and providing for an effective date.

HB 117 allows commercial salmon fishermen using set gillnets to operate as a cooperative group of up to 10 permit holders. It requires all cooperative members to be present and actively participating during fishing operations and eliminates the need to store or deliver fish separately by individual permit. The bill also permits cooperative members to pool their catch and sell it collectively through a single permit holder or their agent, without separate reporting per permit. The Board of Fisheries must create rules for cooperative registration and harvest reporting. This directly affects commercial set gillnet permit holders in Alaska's salmon fisheries.