EMERGENCY RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Purpose: Amend commercial fishing rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-47-50100M; and amending WAC 220-47-501.
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: This regulation provides for PSC authorized sockeye fisheries in Areas 7 and 7A. These fisheries are not expected to exceed chinook by-catch levels modeled during the preseason process. 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Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 1.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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 9, 2005.
J. P. Koenings
Director
Areas 7 and 7A:
Purse Seines - Open to purse seine gear according to the times, dates, and conditions as prescribed and listed here:
| Hours | Dates | ||
| 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily if using a Recovery Box during all fishing activities throughout the entire open period | September 13 and 14 | ||
| 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily if NOT using a Recovery Box during all fishing activities throughout the entire open period | September 13 and 14 | ||
(ii) It is unlawful to bring salmon aboard a vessel unless all salmon captured in the seine net are removed from the seine net using a brailer or dip net, meeting the specifications in WAC 220-47-325, prior to the seine net being removed from the water, except all salmon must be immediately sorted and those required to be released, must be placed in an operating recovery box or released into the water before the next brail may be brought on the deck. However, small numbers of fish may be brought on board the vessel by pulling the net in without mechanical or hydraulic assistance.
(iii) It is unlawful to fish for salmon with purse seine gear in Areas 7 and 7A unless the vessel operator has attended a "Fish Friendly" best fishing practices workshop and is in possession of a department issued certification card.
Areas 7 and 7A:
Gill Nets - Open to gill net gear with 5 inch minimum and 5 1/2 in maximum mesh size according to the times, dates, and conditions as prescribed and listed here:
| Hours | Dates | ||
| 8:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. | September 13 and 14 | ||
Reef Nets - Open to reef net gear according to the times, dates, and conditions as prescribed and listed here:
| Hours | Dates | ||
| 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily | September 13 and 14 | ||
Areas 7B:
That portion of Area 7B west of a line from Point Francis (48°41'42"N, 122°36'40"W) to the red and green buoy southeast of Point Francis (48°40'22"N, 122°35'30"W) then to the northernmost tip of Eliza Island (48°39'37"N, 122°35'45"W) then along the eastern shore of the island to a point intersecting a line drawn through Eliza Rock Light (48°38'35"N, 122°34'40"W) and Fish Point (48°34'35"N, 122°29'45"W) and then southeastward along that line to Fish Point are closed 9/1-9/30.
Purse Seines - (a) Open in Area 7B to purse seines using the 5-inch strip during the following hours and dates, provided it is unlawful to retain sockeye salmon, and any sockeye salmon caught must be released immediately.
7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. September 12, 13 and 14
7:00 a.m. September 18 to 8 p.m. October 29
Gill Nets - Open to gill nets as follows:
| Areas | Mesh Size | Hours | Dates |
| 7B | 5" minimum | 6:00 p.m. September 11 to 8:00
a.m. September 12 6:00 p.m. September 13 to 8:00 a.m. September 14 6:00 p.m. September 15 to 8:00 a.m. September 16. |
|
| 7B | 5" minimum | 7:00 p.m. September 18 through 8:00 p.m. October 29 | |
Gill Nets - Open to gill nets using 5-inch minimum mesh
as follows:
| Hours | Dates |
| Continuously through 8:00 p.m. October 29 | |
Area 12A:
Skiff gill net - (a) Open to skiff gill nets using 5-inch minimum and 5 1/2-inch maximum mesh from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the following dates: 9/14, 9/21, 9/28.
(b) It is unlawful to retain chinook or pink salmon taken in Area 12A at any time. Any salmon required to be released, must be removed from the net by cutting the meshes ensnaring the fish.
All Other Saltwater and Freshwater Areas: Closed.
"Quick Reporting" Fisheries: All fisheries opened under this section, and any fishery openings under authority of the Fraser Panel for sockeye or pink salmon in Areas 7 and 7A are designated as "Quick Reporting Required" fisheries.
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Reviser's note: The typographical error in the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appears in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040.
REPEALER
The following section of the Washington Administrative
Code is repealed effective 8:00 a.m. September 10, 2005:
| WAC 220-47-50100M | Puget Sound all-citizen commercial salmon fishery. (05-202) |