S-4732               _______________________________________________

                                         SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 6247

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Senators Metcalf, Owen and Rasmussen)

Read first time 2/3/88.

AN ACT Relating to herring; and adding a new section to chapter 75.12 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 75.12 RCW to read as follows:

          To insure the high productivity of the salmon fisheries and bottomfish fisheries of the state, it is imperative that the herring, which are the single most important food supply of these fishes, be protected.  The legislature finds that the complete prohibition of collecting herring spawn and commercial harvesting of adult herring in a sac roe herring fishery is a conservation measure that is in the best interest of the state.  The director shall prohibit the taking of fertilized herring spawn and adult herring in a sac roe fishery by any commercial fishery.  This section does not apply if the Indian commercial fishery harvests more than fifty percent of the harvestable adult herring in any one year.