JUNEAU, Alaska — Several Alaska commercial-fishing groups are backing a legislative bill that would allow fishing crews to harvest all hatchery fish but assess a heavy tax to pay the hatcheries' expenses.

Some fishermen are upset that hatcheries now catch scores of their own salmon to fund their operations.

Hatcheries have a competitive edge, often receiving a better price than fishermen for their catch, said Rob Zuanich, executive director of the Alaska Seine Boat Owners Association.

The other concern is more basic: Fishermen would rather be the ones catching the fish.

The United Fishermen of Alaska and the Petersburg Vessel Owners Association are among groups promoting the bill by Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, which would create an option for paying hatcheries' operating expenses.

The bill would allow a tax assessment of up to 40 percent of the value of the fish caught in the hatcheries' nearshore, terminal areas. The measure would be optional, but some hatcheries are less than thrilled with it.

Eric Presteguard, executive director of Juneau's Douglas Island Pink and Chum, said the proposal wouldn't work for its two hatcheries, though he is not opposed to the concept of the bill.

"We couldn't cover our operational costs, the way the bill is set up," Presteguard said. "We're taking a neutral position while the bill language gets fleshed out."

The Sitka-based Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association is against the idea.

Operations manager Steve Reifenstuhl told the House Resources Committee on Friday that the Legislature would be ramming the measure down hatcheries' throats if it tried to pass the bill this year.

Reifenstuhl said the association is one of the most-successful hatcheries in the state, providing 80 percent of its hatchery-spawned fish to Alaska's fisheries while keeping only 20 percent of its annual return for cost recovery.

Hatcheries provide about 30 percent of the total salmon caught in Alaska each year and 20 percent of the value of those fish.