PROPOSED RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 03-07-013.
Title of Rule: Commercial shellfish purchase reporting rules.
Purpose: Amend duties of commercial purchasers.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.12.047.
Statute Being Implemented: RCW 77.12.047.
Summary: Requires quick reporting by Dungeness crab purchasers.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: Conform Washington and federal nontoxic shot rules.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Evan Jacoby, 1111 Washington Street, Olympia, 902-2930; Implementation: Lew Atkins, 1111 Washington Street, Olympia, 902-2651; and Enforcement: Bruce Bjork, 1111 Washington Street, Olympia, 902-2373.
Name of Proponent: Department of Fish and Wildlife, governmental.
Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.
Explanation of Rule, its Purpose, and Anticipated Effects: Puget Sound commercial crab fishing is a highly regulated industry, with strict sharing under U.S. v. Washington. The crab fishery is overcapitalized, and subarea quotas can be taken in a shorter time than can be accurately reported through receipt of shellfish receiving tickets from wholesale fish dealers. This rule will require quick reporting of Dungeness crab taken from Puget Sound, and will provide a much higher degree of certainty in crab management.
Proposal Changes the Following Existing Rules: Amend shellfish purchasing rules.
A small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW.
2. Kinds of Professional Services That a Small Business is Likely to Need in Order to Comply with Such Requirements: None required.
3. Costs of Compliance for Businesses, Including Costs of Equipment, Supplies, Labor, and Increased Administrative Costs: Daily telephone call.
4. Will Compliance with the Rule Cause Businesses to Lose Sales or Revenue? No.
5. Cost of Compliance for the 10% of Businesses That are the Largest Businesses Required to Comply with the Proposed Rules Using One or More of the Following as a Basis for Comparing Costs:
a. Cost per employee;
b. Cost per hour of labor; or
c. Cost per one hundred dollars of sales.
One fax or one telephone call per day. Costs are de minimus.
6. Steps Taken by the Agency to Reduce the Costs of the Rule on Small Businesses or Reasonable Justification for Not Doing So: The department has provided a toll-free telephone number.
7. A Description of How the Agency Will Involve Small Businesses in the Development of the Rule: The rules will be reviewed through the Fish and Wildlife Commission's public rule development process.
8. A List of Industries That Will Be Required to Comply with the Rule: Wholesale crab purchasers.
A copy of the statement may be obtained by writing to Evan Jacoby, Rules Coordinator, 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091, phone (360) 427-1757, fax (360) 902-2155.
RCW 34.05.328 does not apply to this rule adoption. Not hydraulics rules.
Hearing Location: Hampton Inn/Fox Hall, 3985 Bennett Drive, Bellingham, WA 98225, on August 1-2, 2003, begins at 8:00 a.m. on August 1, 2003.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Susan Yeager by July 18, 2003, TDD (360) 902-2207 or (360) 902-2267.
Submit Written Comments to: Evan Jacoby, 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091, fax (360) 902-2155, by July 25, 2003.
Date of Intended Adoption: August 1, 2003.
June 16, 2003
Evan Jacoby
Rules Coordinator
OTS-6438.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending Order 03-28, filed 2/18/03,
effective 3/21/03)
WAC 220-69-240
Duties of commercial purchasers and
receivers.
(1) Every person originally receiving or
purchasing fresh or iced food fish or shellfish or parts
thereof, or frozen food fish or shellfish or parts thereof
that have not been previously landed in another state,
territory, or country from fishers, firms, or individuals,
except purchases or receipts made by individuals or consumers
at retail, is required to be a licensed wholesale fish dealer
or fish buyer, and must immediately, completely, accurately,
and legibly prepare the appropriate state of Washington fish
receiving ticket regarding each and every purchase or receipt
of such commodities. Except, preparation of a fish receiving
ticket is not required for fish or shellfish purchased from a
fisher who holds either a wholesale dealer's license or a
direct retail endorsement and who has previously completed a
fish receiving ticket because product was offered for sale to
someone other than a licensed wholesale dealer. Purchases
from such persons by wholesale fish dealers must be documented
by sales receipts or invoices, and the product received must
be maintained separately until the product is resold or
processed.
(2) Any employee of a licensed wholesale dealer who has authorization to receive or purchase fish or shellfish for that dealer on the premises of the primary business address or any of its branch plant locations shall be authorized to initiate and sign fish receiving tickets on behalf of his employer. The business or firm shall be responsible for the accuracy and legibility of all such documents initiated in its name. Each delivery must be recorded on a separate state of Washington fish receiving ticket.
(3) State of Washington fish receiving tickets are required for:
(a) Fresh food fish and shellfish landed in the state of Washington including fish or shellfish not purchased, which fish shall be recorded as weigh back or take home fish or shellfish.
(b) Fresh food fish and shellfish previously landed in another state, territory, or country and shipped or transported into the state of Washington to an original receiver.
(c) Frozen food fish or shellfish not previously landed in another state, territory, or country and shipped or transported into the state of Washington to an original receiver.
(4) State of Washington fish receiving tickets are not required for:
(a) Purchases or receipts from any person possessing a valid Washington wholesale dealer's license or direct retail endorsement except that a wholesale dealer purchasing fish from a commercial fisher shall complete the appropriate fish receiving ticket if the fisher has not previously completed a fish receiving ticket. It is the purchaser's responsibility to obtain the name, address, and Washington wholesale dealer's license or direct retail endorsement number, together with such sales receipt documents or information as may be required, to show the deliverer's name, quantity of fish, and date of the transaction and retain these with the food fish or shellfish.
(b) Fresh or frozen food fish or shellfish that are in transit through the state of Washington, if no storage, handling, processing, or repackaging occurs within the state.
(c) Private sector cultured aquatic products.
(d) Processed fish or shellfish.
(5) Fishers, fisher-wholesalers, and wholesalers shall determine the weight of baitfish contained in an average and normal brail and multiply the number of such brailers of baitfish by this weight factor and report such baitfish in both dozens and total weight: Provided, That it is lawful for such fishers, fisher-wholesalers, and wholesalers, when receiving herring, candlefish, anchovy, or pilchards for bait purposes, to delay completing that portion of the fish receiving ticket which indicates number of herring received, only if the herring, candlefish, anchovy, or pilchards are sold individually or counted as dozens. Such counts must be entered on the fish tickets immediately. An estimate of herring, candlefish, anchovy, or pilchards caught but not sold due to mortality must be included on the fish ticket as "loss estimate."
(6) It is lawful for an original receiver, when receiving purse seine-caught herring taken from Areas 20A, 20B, 21A, and 21B during the period April 16 through May 31, to delay completing that portion of the fish receiving ticket which indicates the weight of herring received only until the herring are off-loaded from the original receiver's vessel. The herring must then be weighed and the weight immediately entered in the appropriate space on the ticket. A separate state of Washington fish receiving ticket must be initiated at the time of each individual receipt of herring from the purse seine catching vessel.
(7) The original receiver of herring taken from Puget Sound Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch Areas 20A, 20B, 21A, and 21B, during the period April 16 through May 31 must report each calendar day's receipts by noon of the following day to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, LaConner, Washington; telephone 360-466-4345 ext. 243.
(8) It is unlawful for any person receiving or purchasing geoducks from fishers, firms, or individuals, regardless of whether or not the purchaser or receiver holds a license as required under Title 77 RCW, to fail to accurately and legibly complete the fish receiving ticket initiated on the harvest tract immediately upon the actual landing of geoducks from the harvesting vessel onto the shore. This fish receiving ticket shall accompany the harvested geoducks from the department of natural resources harvest tract to the point of landing.
(9) It is unlawful for the original receiver of Pacific whiting to fail to enter an estimated weight of Pacific whiting on the fish receiving ticket immediately upon completion of the landing. The exact weights of whiting, by grade, and all incidental species in the landing must be entered on the fish receiving ticket within twenty-four hours of the landing.
(10) It is unlawful for the original receiver of shrimp
other than ghost shrimp taken from Puget Sound by pot gear to
fail to report to the department the previous week's purchases
by 10:00 a.m. the following Monday. For harvest in Crustacean
Management Regions 1 or 2, reports must be made to the La
Conner district office by voice 360-466-4345 extension 245, or
facsimile 360-466-0515. For harvest in Crustacean Management
Regions 3, 4, or 6, reports must be made to the Point Whitney
Shellfish Laboratory by voice ((360-796-4601)) 1-866-859-8439,
extension ((800)) 600, or facsimile 360-586-8408. All reports
must specify the serial numbers of the fish receiving tickets
on which the previous week's shrimp were sold, and the total
number of pounds caught by gear type, Marine Fish-Shellfish
Management and Catch Reporting Area (Catch Area), and species
listed on each ticket. The fish receiving ticket reporting
requirement of WAC 220-69-240 remains in effect.
(a) Every person originally receiving or purchasing shrimp, other than ghost shrimp, harvested from Catch Area 23A, shall record either 23A-E, 23A-W or 23A-S on shellfish receiving tickets based on the location of harvest and the boundary definitions specified in WAC 220-52-051.
(b) Every person originally receiving or purchasing shrimp, other than ghost shrimp, harvested from Catch Area 26A, shall record either 26A-E or 26A-W on shellfish receiving tickets based on the location of harvest and the boundary definitions specified in WAC 220-52-051.
(c) Every person originally receiving or purchasing shrimp, other than ghost shrimp, harvested from Catch Area 26B, shall record either 26B-1 or 26B-2 on shellfish receiving tickets based on the location of harvest and the boundary definitions specified in WAC 220-52-051.
(d) Every person originally receiving or purchasing shrimp, other than ghost shrimp, harvested from Catch Areas 20B, 21A, and 22A, shall record either 1A-20B, 1A-22A, 1B-20B, 1B-21A, 1B-22A, or 1C-21A on shellfish receiving tickets based on the location of harvest and the boundary definitions specified in WAC 220-52-051.
(11) It is unlawful for the original receiver of shrimp
other than ghost shrimp taken from Puget Sound by trawl gear
to fail to report to the department the previous day's
purchases by 10:00 a.m. the following morning. For harvest in
Crustacean Management Region 1, reports must be made to the La
Conner district office by voice 360-466-4345 extension 245, or
facsimile 360-466-0515. For harvest in Crustacean Management
Region 3, reports must be made to the Point Whitney Shellfish
Laboratory by voice ((360-796-4601)) 1-866-859-8439, extension
((800)) 600, or facsimile 360-586-8408. All reports must
specify the serial numbers of the fish receiving tickets on
which the previous day's shrimp were sold, and the total
number of pounds caught by gear type, Marine Fish-Shellfish
Management and Catch Reporting Area, and species listed on
each ticket. The fish receiving ticket reporting requirement
of WAC 220-69-240 remains in effect.
(12) It is unlawful for any wholesale dealer acting in the capacity of an original receiver of Dungeness crab taken by nontreaty fishers from Puget Sound to fail to report to the department the previous day's purchases by 10:00 a.m. the following morning. Reports must be made to the Point Whitney Shellfish Laboratory by facsimile 360-586-8408 or by telephone number 1-866-859-8439 extension 500 and must specify the dealer name, dealer phone number, and total number of pounds of crab caught by nontreaty fishers by Crustacean Management Region. The fish receiving ticket reporting requirement of WAC 220-69-240 remains in effect.
(13) It is unlawful for the original receiver to fail to initiate the completion of the fish receiving ticket immediately upon receipt of any portion of a commercial catch. Should the unloading of a catch take more than one day, the date that the unloading is completed shall be entered on the fish receiving ticket as the date of landing. If, for any purpose, the vessel leaves the unloading site, the original receiver must immediately enter the current date on the fish receiving ticket.
(((13))) (14) During any fishery opening designated by
rule as "quick reporting required," it is unlawful for any
wholesale dealer acting in the capacity of an original
receiver to fail to report a summary of all purchases of
salmon and sturgeon made on the previous calendar day, or for
a direct retail endorsement holder to fail to report a summary
of all salmon offered for retail sale on the previous calendar
day. The summary must include dealer name and purchasing
location, date of purchase, list of fish ticket numbers used
on the purchasing date, and the following summary catch data
for each species purchased: Gear, catch area, species, number
and total weight of fish. When quick reporting is required,
it is unlawful to fail to comply with the following reporting
requirements:
(a) Puget Sound summary reports must be reported by 10:00 a.m. on the day after the purchase date by either:
(i) Fax transmission to 360-902-2949
(ii) E-mail to psfishtickets@dfw.wa.gov or
(iii) Telephone to 1-866-791-1279
(b) Coastal troll summary reports must be reported by 10:00 a.m. on the day after the purchase date by either:
(i) Fax transmission to 360-902-2949
(ii) E-mail to trollfishtickets@dfw.wa.gov or
(iii) Telephone to 1-866-791-1279
(c) Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay summary reports must be reported by 10:00 a.m. on the day after the purchase date by either:
(i) Fax transmission to 360-664-0689
(ii) E-mail to harborfishtickets@dfw.wa.gov or
(iii) Telephone to 1-866-791-1280
(d) Columbia River summary reports must be reported by 10:00 a.m. on the day after the purchase date by either:
(i) Fax transmission to 360-906-6776 or 360-906-6777
(ii) E-mail to crfishtickets@dfw.wa.gov or
(iii) Telephone to 1-866-791-1281
(((14))) (15) It is unlawful for any wholesale dealer
acting in the capacity of an original receiver and receiving
sea urchins or sea cucumbers from nontreaty fishers to fail to
report to the department each day's purchases by 10:00 a.m.
the following day. For red sea urchins the report must
specify the number of pounds received from each sea urchin
district. For green sea urchins and sea cucumbers the report
must specify the number of pounds received from each Marine
Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area. The
report must be made by facsimile (fax) transmission to
((360-586-8408)) 360-902-2943 or by toll-free telephone to
((360-796-4601)) 866-207-8223, extension ((500)) 866. Additionally, it is unlawful for the original receiver of red
sea urchins to fail to record on the fish receiving ticket the
sea urchin district where the red sea urchins were taken, and
it is unlawful for the original receiver of any sea urchins to
fail to record on the fish receiving ticket the name of the
port of landing where the sea urchins were landed ashore.
(((15))) (16) It is unlawful for any original receiver of
crab to fail to record all crab aboard the vessel making the
delivery to the original receiver. The poundage of any crab
deemed to be unmarketable, discards, or weigh backs must be
shown on the fish receiving ticket, but a zero dollar value
may be entered for such crab.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. 03-05-064 (Order 03-28), § 220-69-240, filed 2/18/03, effective 3/21/03; 03-05-059 (Order 03-32), § 220-69-240, filed 2/18/03, effective 3/21/03; 01-07-015 (Order 01-32), § 220-69-240, filed 3/13/01, effective 4/13/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 00-01-145 (Order 99-221), § 220-69-240, filed 12/20/99, effective 1/20/00; 97-08-052 (Order 97-55), § 220-69-240, filed 3/31/97, effective 5/1/97. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080 and 75.58.040. 86-19-043 (Order 86-102), § 220-69-240, filed 9/12/86. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 85-11-020 (Order 85-43), § 220-69-240, filed 5/10/85; 83-24-049 (Order 83-203), § 220-69-240, filed 12/2/83; 82-17-040 (Order 82-105), § 220-69-240, filed 8/13/82; 81-11-006 (Order 81-31), § 220-69-240, filed 5/11/81; Order 77-14, § 220-69-240, filed 4/15/77; Order 76-153, § 220-69-240, filed 12/17/76.]