Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.

     Purpose: Amend commercial fishing rules.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-52-04000S and 220-52-04600B; and amending WAC 220-52-040 and 220-52-046.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.12.047 and 77.04.020.

     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: Current pot limits were instituted in order to slow the early season landings and maintain a manageable supply to area buyers. The need to limit this flow has eased in some areas, which allows for an increase in pots from fifty pots per license to seventy-five pots per license in Region 3-1. Additionally, this regulation continues the closure of Region 2 West where the Puget Sound state commercial fishery has reached its initial allocation. This regulation also closes the Everett Flats portion of Region 2 East in order to protect soft shell crabs that occur at this time of year in this area. The Puget Sound commercial season is structured to meet harvest allocation objectives negotiated with applicable treaty tribes. There is insufficient time to adopt permanent regulations.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 2, Amended 0, Repealed 2.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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: December 12, 2012.

Philip Anderson

Director

     (1) Additional area gear limits. The following Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas are restricted in the number of pots fished, operated, or used by a person or vessel, and it is unlawful for any person to use, maintain, operate, or control pots in excess of the following limits:

     (a) No commercial gear is allowed in that portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 25A west of the 123º7.0' longitude line projected from the new Dungeness light due south to the shore of Dungeness Bay.

     (2) Effective immediately, until further notice, it is unlawful for any person to fish for crabs for commercial purposes with more than 50 pots per license per buoy tag number in Crab Management Region 2 East. This region includes Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D and 26AE.

     (3) Effective immediately, until further notice, it is unlawful for any person to fish for crabs for commercial purposes with more than 75 pots per license per buoy tag number in Crab Management Region 1, and Sub-Area 3-1. These regions include Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B, 23A and 23B.

     (4) The remaining buoy tags per license per region must be onboard the designated vessel and available for inspection.

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     (1) Effective immediately, until further notice, it is permissible to fish for Dungeness crab for commercial purposes in the following areas:

     (a) Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 20A between a line from the boat ramp at the western boundary of Birch Bay State Park to the western point of the entrance of the Birch Bay Marina, and a line from the same boat ramp to Birch Point.

     (b) Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 22B in Fidalgo Bay south of a line projected from the red number 4 entrance buoy at Cape Sante Marina to the northern end of the eastern-most oil dock.

     (c) Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 22A in Deer Harbor north of a line projected from Steep Point to Pole Pass.

     (d) Port Gardner: That portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 26A east of a line projected from the outermost tip of the ferry dock at Mukilteo, projected to the green #3 buoy at the mouth of the Snohomish River, and west of a line projected from that #3 buoy southward to the oil boom pier on the shoreline.

     (e) Possession Point to Glendale: That portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 26A east of a line that extends true north from the green #1 buoy at Possession Point to Possession Point, and west of a line from the green #1 buoy at Possession Point extending northward along the 200-foot depth contour to the Glendale dock.

     (f) Langley: That portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 24C shoreward of the 400-foot depth contour within an area described by two lines projected northeasterly from Sandy Point and the entrance to the marina at Langley.

     (2) Effective immediately, until further notice, the following areas are closed to commercial crab fishing:

     (a) Crab Management Region 2 West. This region includes Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 25B, 25D and 26AW.

     (b) That portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 25A west of the 123º7.0' longitude line projected from the new Dungeness light due south to the shore of Dungeness Bay.

     (c) That portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 23D west of a line from the eastern tip of Ediz Hook to the ITT Rayonier Dock.

     (d) Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 24A east of a line projected true north from the most westerly tip of Skagit Island and extending south to the most westerly tip of Hope Island, thence southeast to Seal Rocks, thence southeast to the green can buoy at the mouth of Swinomish Channel, thence easterly to the west side of Goat Island.

     (3) Effective at 7:00 PM on Saturday, December 15, 2012, until further notice, the Everett Flats portion of Region 2 East will be closed. This area is defined as follows:

     (a) That portion of catch area 26A east of a line from Howarth Park due north to the south end of Gedney Island, and that portion of 24B east of a line from the north end of Gedney Island to Camano Head and south of a line drawn from Camano Head to Hermosa Point.

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     Effective immediately, the following sections of the Washington Administrative Code are repealed:

WAC 220-52-04000S	Commercial crab fishery -- Lawful and unlawful gear, methods, and other unlawful acts. (12-264)
WAC 220-52-04600B	Puget Sound crab fishery -- Seasons and areas. (12-264)