Purpose: To create definitions for Sund Rock Marine Preserve Area and the Bonilla-Tatoosh line and reference the closure of the conservation areas and marine preserve areas in the appropriate chapters.

Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 220-20-010, 220-20-015, 220-20-020, and 220-20-025; and new sections WAC 220-16-480 and 220-16-490.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 75.08.080.

Adopted under notice filed as WSR 98-09-089 on April 21, 1998.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, amended 1, repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.

Larry W. Peck

for Bern Shanks

Director

AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending WSR 98-06-031, filed 2/26/98, effective 5/1/98)

WAC 220-20-010  General provisions--Lawful and unlawful acts--Salmon, other food fish and shellfish. (1) It shall be unlawful to take, fish for, possess or transport for any purpose food fish, shellfish or parts thereof, in or from any of the waters or land over which the state of Washington has jurisdiction, or from the waters of the Pacific Ocean, except at the times, places and in the manners and for the species, quantities, sizes or sexes provided for in the regulations of the department of fisheries.

(2) It shall be unlawful for any person to have in possession or under control or custody any food fish or shellfish within the land or water boundaries of the state of Washington, except in those areas which are open to commercial fishing or wherein the possession, control or custody of salmon or other food fish or shellfish for commercial purposes is made lawful under a statute of the state of Washington or the rules and regulations of the director of fisheries, unless otherwise provided.

(3) It shall be lawful to fish for, possess, process and otherwise deal in food fish and fish offal or scrap for any purpose, provided; that it shall be unlawful to use any of the following listed species for purposes other than human consumption or fishing bait:

(4) It shall be unlawful for any person to fish for food fish or shellfish while in possession in the field of food fish or shellfish that are in violation of the harvest regulations for the area being fished. This regulation does not apply to vessels in transit.

(5) It shall be unlawful for the owner or operator of any commercial food fish or shellfish gear to leave such gear unattended in waters of the state or offshore waters unless said gear is marked with a buoy to which shall be affixed in a visible and legible manner the department of fisheries approved and registered buoy brand issued to the license, provided that:

(a) Buoys affixed to unattended gear must be visible on the surface of the water except during strong tidal flow or extreme weather conditions.

(b) When two or more shellfish pots are attached to a common ground line the number of pots so attached must be clearly labeled on the required buoy.

(c) It shall be unlawful at any time to leave a gill net unattended in the commercial salmon fishery.

(6) It shall be unlawful to place any commercial food fish or shellfish gear in any waters closed to commercial fishing, provided; that this provision shall not apply to reef nets or brush weirs or to gear being tested under supervision of the department of fisheries, provided further that it shall be unlawful to take, fish for or possess food fish with any type of commercial fishing gear in the waters of Carr Inlet north of north latitude 47 20' from August 15 through November 30 except as provided in chapter 220-47 WAC.

(7) It shall be unlawful for the owner or operator of any fishing gear to refuse to submit such gear to inspection in any manner specified by authorized representatives of the department of fisheries.

(8) It shall be unlawful for any person taking or possessing food fish or shellfish taken from any of the waters or beaches of the Columbia River, the state of Washington or the Pacific Ocean for any purpose to fail to submit such food fish or shellfish for inspection by authorized representatives of the department of fisheries.

(9) It shall be unlawful for any person licensed under the fisheries code of Washington to fail to make or return any report required by the department of fisheries relative to the taking, selling, possessing, transporting, processing, freezing and storing of food fish or shellfish whether taken within the jurisdiction of the state of Washington or beyond or on Indian reservations or usual and accustomed Indian fishing grounds.

(10) It shall be unlawful to take, fish for or possess or to injure, kill or molest fish in any fishway, fish ladder, fish screen, holding pond, rearing pond, or other fish protective device, or to interfere in any manner with the proper operation of such fish protective devices.

(11) It shall be unlawful to club, gaff, shoot, snag, snare, dip net, harass, spear, stone or otherwise molest, injure, kill or destroy any food fish or shellfish or parts thereof, or for any person to attempt to commit such acts, or to have any fish, shellfish or parts thereof so taken in possession, except as provided for in this subsection:

(a) It shall be lawful to use a dip net or club in the landing of food fish taken by personal-use angling unless otherwise provided and it shall be lawful to use a gaff in the landing of tuna, halibut and dogfish in all catch record card areas.

(b) It shall be lawful to use a dip net, gaff, or club in the landing of food fish or shellfish taken for commercial purposes, except that it is unlawful to use a fish pew, pitchfork, or any other instrument that will penetrate the body of the food fish or shellfish while sorting commercial catches during the act of discarding those fish that are not going to be retained.

(c) It shall be lawful to use a spear in underwater spear fishing as provided for in WAC 220-56-160.

(d) It shall be lawful to use a spear to take carp as provided for in WAC 220-56-280.

(e) It shall be lawful to snag herring, smelt, anchovies, pilchard, sand lance, and squid when using forage fish jigger gear or squid jigs.

(f) It shall be lawful to shoot halibut when landing them with a dip net or gaff.

(12) It shall be unlawful to take or possess for any purpose any food fish or shellfish smaller than the lawful minimum size limits. Any such fish either snagged, hooked, netted or gilled must be immediately returned to the water with the least possible injury to the fish or shellfish and it shall be unlawful to allow undersized salmon entangled in commercial nets to pass through a power block or onto a power reel or drum.

(13) It shall be unlawful to possess aboard any vessel engaged in commercial fishing or having commercially caught fish aboard, any food fish or shellfish in such condition that its species, length, weight or sex cannot be determined if a species, length, weight, or sex limit is prescribed for said species and it is unlawful to possess food fish or shellfish mutilated in any manner such that the natural length or weight cannot be determined if a length or weight limit is prescribed for said species.

(14) It shall be unlawful in any area to use, operate or carry aboard a commercial fishing vessel a licensed net or combination of such nets, whether fished singly or separately, in excess of the maximum lawful size or length prescribed for a single net in that area, except as otherwise provided for in the rules and regulations of the department of fisheries.

(15) It shall be unlawful for any permit holder to fail to comply with all provisions of any special permit or letter of approval issued to him under the authority of the director of fisheries, or to perform any act not specifically authorized in said document or in the regulations of the director of fisheries.

(16) It shall be unlawful to use, place or cause to be placed in the waters or on the beaches or tidelands of the state any substance or chemical used for control of predators or pests affecting food fish or shellfish or other aquatic marine organisms, without first having obtained a special permit to do so from the director of fisheries.

(17) It shall be unlawful to test commercial fishing gear except as follows:

(a) Bellingham Bay - inside and northerly of a line from Governor's Point to the south tip of Eliza Island to Point Frances in waters 10 fathoms and deeper.

(b) Boundary Bay - north of a line from Birch Point to Point Roberts and south of the international boundary in waters 10 fathoms and deeper during times not under IPSFC control.

(c) San Juan Channel - within a 1 mile radius of Point Caution during times not under IPSFC control.

(d) Port Angeles - inside and westerly of a line projected from the east tip of Ediz Hook through buoy C "1" to the mainland.

(e) Port Gardner - within a 2 mile radius of the entrance to Everett breakwater in waters 10 fathoms and deeper.

(f) Central Puget Sound - between lines from Meadow Point to Point Monroe and Skiff Point to West Point in waters 50 fathoms and deeper.

(g) East Pass - between lines from Point Robinson true east to the mainland and from Dash Point to Point Piner in waters 50 fathoms and deeper.

(h) Port Townsend - westerly of a line from the Coast Guard station in Port Townsend to Walan Point to Kala Point in waters 10 fathoms and deeper.

(i) All tows or sets are limited to 20 minutes exclusive of setting and retrieving time.

(j) All testing is to be accomplished between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

(k) Codends of trawl nets must be left open, all hooks of set line gear must be unbaited, and no lures or baited hooks shall be used with jig or troll gear.

(l) Any and all incidentally caught fish and shellfish must be returned to the waters immediately, and no fish or shellfish are to be retained aboard the vessel at any time during a gear test operation.

(m) It shall be unlawful for any person conducting such gear testing operations to fail to notify the fisheries patrol office in Olympia prior to testing.

(18) It is unlawful for any person or corporation either licensed by the department of fisheries or bringing food fish or shellfish into the state to fail to comply with the directions of authorized department personnel related to the collection of sampling data or material from food fish or shellfish. It is also unlawful for any such person or corporation to fail to relinquish to the department, upon request, any part of a salmon or other food fish containing coded-wire tags, including but not limited to, the snouts of those salmon that are marked by having clipped adipose fins.

(19) It is unlawful to fish for or possess food fish or shellfish taken from any conservation area defined in chapter 220-16 WAC.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.040 and 75.08.080. 98-06-031, § 220-20-010, filed 2/26/98, effective 5/1/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 93-15-051, § 220-20-010, filed 7/14/93, effective 8/14/93; 91-08-054 (Order 91-13), § 220-20-010, filed 4/2/91, effective 5/3/91; 91-01-023, § 220-20-010, filed 12/10/90, effective 1/10/91; 89-02-022 (Order 88-186), § 220-20-010, filed 12/29/88; 88-10-013 (Order 88-15), § 220-20-010, filed 4/26/88; 85-09-017 (Order 85-20), § 220-20-010, filed 4/9/85; 85-08-023 (Order 85-24), § 220-20-010, filed 4/1/85; 84-08-014 (Order 84-24), § 220-20-010, filed 3/27/84; 82-15-040 (Order 82-83), § 220-20-010, filed 7/15/82; 82-07-047 (Order 82-19), § 220-20-010, filed 3/18/82; 81-02-053 (Order 81-3), § 220-20-010, filed 1/7/81; 80-10-058 (Order 80-83), § 220-20-010, filed 8/6/80; 80-07-017 (Order 80-45), § 220-20-010, filed 6/11/80; 79-10-013 (Order 79-75), § 220-20-010, filed 9/7/79; Order 77-14, § 220-20-010, filed 4/15/77; Order 76-148, § 220-20-010, filed 12/2/76; Order 1193, § 220-20-010, filed 3/4/75; Order 1179, § 220-20-010, filed 11/19/74; Order 1106, § 220-20-010, filed 1/10/74; Order 1057, § 220-20-010, filed 5/22/73; Order 945, § 220-20-010, filed 8/16/71; Order 920, § 220-20-010, filed 5/13/71; Order 817, § 220-20-010, filed 5/29/69; Order 810, § 220-20-010, filed 4/17/69; Order 771-A, § 220-20-010, filed 3/29/68; Order 767, § 1, filed 12/22/67; Order 758, § 3, filed 10/16/67; Order 726, §§ 2, 3, filed 4/24/67; Order 721, § 1, filed 3/9/67; Subsections 1, 2 from Orders 405 and 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsection 3 from Order 677, filed 3/31/66; Subsection 16 from Order 525, filed 5/3/61; Orders 355 and 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsection 4 from Order 591, filed 10/28/63; Orders 479 and 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsection 5 from Orders 383 and 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsections 6, 26, 35 from Order 568, filed 3/26/63; Order 543, filed 3/20/62; Order 507, filed 4/13/60; Order 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsections 7-11, 13-15, 17, 18, 22 from Orders 355 and 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsection 12 from Orders 407 and 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsections 19, 27 from Orders 480 and 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsection 20 from Order 677, filed 3/31/66; Orders 483 and 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsection 23 from Order 677, filed 3/31/66; Order 605, filed 4/21/64; Order 568, filed 3/26/63; Order 543, filed 3/20/62; Order 507, filed 4/13/60; Order 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsection 24 from Order 605, filed 4/21/64; Orders 407 and 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsection 25 from Orders 449 and 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsections 28-33 from Orders 456 and 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsection 34 from Orders 486 and 256, filed 3/1/60; Subsection 36 from Order 591, filed 10/28/63; Subsections 37 and 38 from Order 677, filed 3/31/66; Subsection 39 from Order 672, filed 12/28/65.]

AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending Order 84-53, filed 6/21/84)

WAC 220-20-015  Lawful and unlawful acts--Salmon. (1) It is unlawful to operate in any river, stream or channel any gill net gear longer than three-fourths the width of the stream; this provision shall supersede all other regulations in conflict with it.

(2) It is unlawful to operate any net for removing snags from state waters without permit from the department of fisheries.

(3) It is unlawful to take, fish for or possess for commercial purposes chinook salmon less than 28 inches in length or coho salmon less than 16 inches in length except as follows:

(a) In the Puget Sound, Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay and Columbia River commercial salmon net fisheries there is no minimum size limit on salmon taken with gill net gear.

(b) In the Pacific Ocean commercial salmon troll fishery frozen chinook salmon, dressed heads off shall be 21 1/2 inches minimum and frozen coho salmon dressed heads off shall be 12 inches minimum, measured from the midpoint of the clavicle arch to the fork of the tail.

(c) This subsection does not apply to salmon raised in aquaculture.

(4) It is unlawful to set, maintain, or operate any reef net gear at any location which places the stern ends of either or both reef net boats of said gear less than a distance of 800 feet in front of or behind the head buoys of any row or reef net gear, within the boundaries of the Lummi Island Reef Net Fisheries Area, as described in RCW 75.12.140.

(5) It is lawful to possess salmon for any purpose which were lawfully obtained from state and federal government fish hatcheries and facilities. Subsections (3) and (12) of WAC 220-20-010 and subsection (3) of WAC 220-20-015 do not apply to salmon possessed under this subsection.

(6) It is unlawful to take or fish for food fish from a commercial salmon trolling vessel with gear other than lawful troll line gear while said vessel is engaged in commercial fishing or has commercially caught fish aboard.

(7) It shall be unlawful to angle for salmon for personal use from any vessel that is engaged in commercial salmon trolling or has commercially caught salmon aboard.

(8) It is unlawful to fish for or possess salmon taken for commercial purposes from the Sund Rock Marine Preserve or the Titlow Beach Marine Preserve.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 84-13-078 (Order 84-53), § 220-20-015, filed 6/21/84; 79-10-013 (Order 79-75), § 220-20-015, filed 9/7/79; 78-05-067 (Order 78-20), § 220-20-015, filed 4/27/78; Order 77-66, § 220-20-015, filed 8/5/77; Order 77-14, § 220-20-015, filed 4/15/77; Order 76-24A, § 220-20-015, filed 4/20/76; Order 1251, § 220-20-015, filed 8/18/75; Order 1210, § 220-20-015, filed 5/26/75; Order 1143, § 220-20-015, filed 8/8/74; Order 1116, § 220-20-015, filed 4/30/74; Order 1049, § 220-20-015, filed 4/11/73; Order 984, § 220-20-015, filed 2/17/72; Order 925, § 220-20-015, filed 6/3/71; Order 920, § 220-20-015, filed 5/13/71; Order 810, § 220-20-015, filed 4/17/69.]

AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending Order 97-51, filed 3/14/97, effective 4/14/97)

WAC 220-20-020  General provisions--Lawful and unlawful acts--Food fish other than salmon. (1) It is unlawful to fish for or possess for commercial purposes any round, undressed white sturgeon less than 48 inches or greater than 60 inches in length or any round, undressed green sturgeon less than 48 inches or greater than 66 inches in length.

(2) It is unlawful to fish for or possess for commercial purposes or possess aboard a commercial fishing vessel for any purpose any species of halibut (Hippoglossus) unless permitted by the current regulations of the International Pacific Halibut Commission.

(3) It is unlawful to fish for or possess for commercial purposes sturgeon taken from any of the waters of Puget Sound or tributaries, and any sturgeon taken with any type of commercial gear incidental to a lawful fishery shall immediately be returned to the water unharmed.

(4) It is unlawful to fish for food fish for commercial purposes in the waters of Shilshole Bay inland and inside a line projected in a southwesterly direction from Meadow Point to West Point.

(5) It is unlawful to fish for or possess for commercial purposes any starry flounder less than 14 inches in length taken by any commercial gear, in all Puget Sound Marine Fish-Shellfish Areas.

(6) It shall be unlawful to harvest herring eggs naturally deposited on marine vegetation or other substrate, unless a person has a permit issued by the director.

(7) It is unlawful to fish for or possess food fish other than salmon taken for commercial purposes from the San Juan Islands Marine Preserve, except that it is lawful to take herring.

(8) It is unlawful to fish for or possess food fish other than salmon taken from the Titlow Beach Marine Preserve, the Sund Rock Marine Preserve, or the Edmonds Underwater Park.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 97-07-043 (Order 97-51), § 220-20-020, filed 3/14/97, effective 4/14/97; 95-23-020 (Order 95-166), § 220-20-020, filed 11/8/95, effective 12/9/95; 93-14-042 (Order 93-54), § 220-20-020, filed 6/29/93, effective 7/30/93. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080 and 75.28.245. 90-07-003 (Order 90-17), § 220-20-020, filed 3/8/90, effective 4/8/90. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 90-06-045 (Order 90-15), § 220-20-020, filed 3/1/90, effective 4/1/90; 80-09-072 (Order 80-69), § 220-20-020, filed 7/18/80; 79-03-014 (Order 79-11), § 220-20-020, filed 2/15/79; Order 77-147, § 220-20-020, filed 12/16/77; Order 77-14, § 220-20-020, filed 4/15/77; Order 76-148, § 220-20-020, filed 12/2/76; Order 76-26, § 220-20-020, filed 4/20/76; Order 1193-A, § 220-20-020, filed 3/5/75; Order 1193, § 220-20-020, filed 3/4/75; Order 1143, § 220-20-020, filed 8/8/74; Order 1105, § 220-20-020, filed 12/28/73; Order 1057, § 220-20-020, filed 5/22/73; Order 1045, § 220-20-020, filed 3/8/73; Order 988, § 220-20-020, filed 4/28/72; Order 920, § 220-20-020, filed 5/13/71; Order 862, § 220-20-020, filed 4/16/70; Order 817, § 220-20-020, filed 5/29/69; Order 810, § 220-20-020, filed 4/17/69.]

AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending Order 95-166, filed 11/8/95, effective 12/9/95)

WAC 220-20-025  General provisions--Shellfish. (1) It is unlawful to drive or operate any motor-propelled vehicle, land any airplane or ride or lead any horse on the razor clam beds of the state of Washington, as defined in WAC 220-16-257.

(2) It is unlawful to possess any soft-shelled crab for any purpose.

(3) It is unlawful to possess in the field any crab from which the back shell has been removed.

(4) It is unlawful to use any chemicals when taking or fishing for octopus except for persons granted a scientific collector's permit from the department for the harvest of octopus for display or scientific purposes.

(5) It is unlawful to willfully damage crab or other shellfish. Any crab taken incidentally to a net fishery must be immediately returned to the water with the least possible damage to the crab.

(6) It is unlawful to fish for or possess shellfish taken for commercial purposes from the San Juan Islands Marine Preserve, except it is lawful to fish for crab in Parks Bay.

(7) It is unlawful to fish for, harvest, or possess shellfish taken from the Titlow Beach Marine Preserve, the Sund Rock Marine Preserve, or the Edmonds Underwater Park.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 95-23-020 (Order 95-166), § 220-20-025, filed 11/8/95, effective 12/9/95; 94-12-009 (Order 94-23), § 220-20-025, filed 5/19/94, effective 6/19/94; 90-06-045 (Order 90-15), § 220-20-025, filed 3/1/90, effective 4/1/90; 80-13-064 (Order 80-123), § 220-20-025, filed 9/17/80; Order 1179, § 220-20-025, filed 11/19/74; Order 990, § 220-20-025, filed 5/11/72; Order 810, § 220-20-025, filed 4/17/69.]

NEW SECTION

WAC 220-16-480  Sund Rock Marine Preserve Area. The "Sund Rock Marine Preserve Area" is defined as those waters and bed lands within 200 yards of the salmon net pens located near Sund Rock in Hood Canal.

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NEW SECTION

WAC 220-16-490  Bonilla-Tatoosh Line. The "Bonilla-Tatoosh Line" is defined as a line projected from the most westerly point on Cape Flattery to the lighthouse on Tatoosh Island, then to the buoy adjacent to Duntz Rock, then to Bonilla Point on Vancouver Island.

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