EMERGENCY RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Date of Adoption: April 13, 2001.
Purpose: Amend commercial fishing rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 220-44-05000D.
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: Thresher shark are taken incidental to the swordfish fishery, but few swordfish are taken off of Washington or northern Oregon. Oregon has set a 10:1 ratio of swordfish to thresher shark in its experimental swordfish fishery. This permit fishery has resulted in a directed thresher shark fishery and landings into Washington. There are insufficient thresher shark to support a directed fishery, and prohibiting landings will preserve thresher shark. There is insufficient time to adopt permanent rules, but permanent rule making has started.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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: Immediately.
April 13, 2001
J. P. Koenings
Director
by Larry Peck
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