WSR 08-19-010

EMERGENCY RULES

DEPARTMENT OF

FISH AND WILDLIFE

[ Order 08-222 -- Filed September 4, 2008, 3:53 p.m. , effective September 4, 2008, 3:53 p.m. ]


     Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.

     Purpose: Amend commercial fishing rules.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-52-05100F; and amending WAC 220-52-051.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.12.047.

     Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.

     Reasons for this Finding: The 2008 state/tribal shrimp harvest management plans for the Strait of Juan de Fuca and north Puget Sound require adoption of harvest seasons and the prohibition on night-time fishing contained in this emergency rule. This emergency rule closes the pot fishery season for shrimp in Catch Areas 23A-S/23D because the spot shrimp quota will be harvested in that area, and reopens Catch Areas 23A-E, 23B and 25A to beam trawl fishing for one week. There is insufficient time to promulgate permanent rules.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 1.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: September 4, 2008.

J. P. Koenings

Director


NEW SECTION
WAC 220-52-05100G   Puget Sound shrimp pot and beam trawl fishery -- Season.   Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-051, effective immediately until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for shrimp for commercial purposes in Puget Sound except as provided for in this section:

     (1) Shrimp pot gear:

     (a) All waters of Shrimp Management Areas 1B, 1C, 2E, 2W, 3 and 6 are open to the harvest of all shrimp species effective immediately, until further notice, except as provided for in this section:

     (i) All waters of Catch Areas 23A-E, 23A-C, 23A-W and the Discovery Bay Shrimp District are closed.

     (ii) All waters of Shrimp Management Areas 1B, 1C, 2E, 2W and Catch Areas 23B, 25A and 26D are closed to the harvest of spot shrimp.

     (iii) Effective 6:00 p.m. September 5, 2008, until further notice, Catch Area 23A-S/23D is closed to the harvest of spot shrimp.

     (iv) Effective 6:00 p.m. September 7, 2008, until further notice, Catch Area 23C is closed to the harvest of spot shrimp.

     (b) The shrimp accounting week is Monday through Sunday.

     (c) Effective immediately, until 6:00 p.m. September 5, 2008, it is unlawful for the combined total harvest of spot shrimp by a fisher and/or the fisher's alternate operator to exceed 300 pounds in Catch Areas 23A-S/23D.

     (d) Effective immediately, until 6:00 p.m. September 7, 2008, it is unlawful for the combined total harvest of spot shrimp by a fisher and/or the fisher's alternate operator to exceed 300 pounds in Catch Area 23C.

     (e) Effective immediately, until further notice, it is unlawful for the combined total harvest of spot shrimp by a fisher and/or the fisher's alternate operator to exceed 600 pounds per week, except that any fisher whose weekly shrimp harvest activity is exclusively limited to Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch and Reporting Area 29 shall not be subject to the weekly spot shrimp trip limit for that week. It is unlawful to fish for any shrimp while in possession, on board the fishing vessel, of any spot shrimp from any previous accounting week.

     (f) It is unlawful to fish for shrimp for commercial purposes in Puget Sound using shellfish pot gear in more than one Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area per day. Fishers may move all of their shellfish pot gear from one Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area to another Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area if a harvest report is made before the shellfish pot gear is moved. The harvest activity report must be made consistent with the provisions of WAC 220-52-075 and must also include the following additional information:

     (i) The number of pots being moved to a new area, and the Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area that the pots are being moved to.

     (g) It is unlawful to set or pull shellfish pots in one Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area while in possession of shrimp harvested from another Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area, except shellfish pots may be set in a new fishing area subsequent to making a report as indicated in Section 1(e) above.

     (2) Shrimp beam trawl gear:

     (a) Shrimp Management Area 3 is open immediately, until further notice, except as provided for in this section.

     (i) Catch Area 23D, Sequim Bay and the Discovery Bay shrimp district are closed.

     (ii) Effective 12:00 p.m. September 9, 2008, Catch Areas 23A-E, 23B and 25A are closed.

     (b) That portion of Catch Areas 21A and 22A within Shrimp Management Area 1B is open immediately, until further notice.

     (c) Catch Area 20A is open immediately, until further notice.

     (3) It is unlawful to set or pull shrimp beam trawl gear from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise.

     (4) All shrimp taken under this section must be sold to licensed Washington wholesale fish dealers.

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REPEALER


     The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is repealed:


WAC 220-52-05100F Puget Sound shrimp pot and beam trawl fishery. (08-217)

© Washington State Code Reviser's Office