WSR 15-11-001 EMERGENCY RULES DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE [Order 15-108—Filed May 6, 2015, 2:41 p.m., effective May 6, 2015, 4:00 p.m.] Effective Date of Rule: May 6, 2015, 4:00 p.m.
Purpose: This emergency rule will allow nontreaty commercial fishing opportunities in the Columbia River while protecting fish listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This rule implements federal court orders governing Washington's relationship with treaty Indian tribes, federal law governing Washington's relationship with Oregon, and Washington fish and wildlife commission policy guidance for Columbia River fisheries.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-33-01000L; and amending WAC 220-33-010.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.020, 77.04.130, 77.12.045, and 77.12.047.
Other Authority: United States v. Oregon, Civil No. 68-513-KI (D. Or.), Order Adopting 2008-2017 United States v. Oregon Management Agreement (Aug. 12, 2008) (Doc. No. 2546); Northwest Gillnetters Ass'n v. Sandison, 95 Wn.2d 638, 628 P.2d 800 (1981); Washington fish and wildlife commission policies concerning Columbia River fisheries; 40 Stat. 515 (Columbia River compact).
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: Sets a mainstem commercial fishing period for hatchery spring chinook. The upriver spring chinook return has been upgraded by TAC to two hundred forty-one thousand fish. This update allows additional fish to be available for harvest in mainstem commercial fisheries. The fisheries are consistent with the U.S. v. Oregon Management Agreement and the associated biological opinion. Conforms Washington state rules with Oregon state rules. Regulation is consistent with compact action of January 28 and May 5, 2015. There is insufficient time to promulgate permanent rules.
Washington and Oregon jointly regulate Columbia River fisheries under the congressionally ratified Columbia River compact. Four Indian tribes have treaty fishing rights in the Columbia River. The treaties preempt state regulations that fail to allow the tribes an opportunity to take a fair share of the available fish, and the states must manage other fisheries accordingly. Sohappy v. Smith, 302 F. Supp. 899 (D. Or. 1969). A federal court order sets the current parameters for sharing between treaty Indians and others. United States v. Oregon, Civil No. 68-513-KI (D. Or.), Order Adopting 2008-2017 United States v. Oregon Management Agreement (Aug. 12, 2008) (Doc. No. 2546).
Some Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead stocks are listed as threatened or endangered under the federal ESA. On May 5, 2008, the National Marine Fisheries Service issued a biological opinion under 16 U.S.C. § 1536 that allows for some incidental take of these species in treaty and nontreaty Columbia River fisheries governed by the 2008-2017 U.S. v. Oregon Management Agreement. The Washington and Oregon fish and wildlife commissions have developed policies to guide the implementation of such biological opinions in the states' regulation of nontreaty fisheries.
Columbia River nontreaty fisheries are monitored very closely to ensure compliance with federal court orders, the ESA, and commission guidelines. Because conditions change rapidly, the fisheries are managed almost exclusively by emergency rule. Representatives from the Washington (WDFW) and Oregon (ODFW) departments of fish and wildlife convene public hearings and take public testimony when considering proposals for new emergency rules. WDFW and ODFW then adopt regulations reflecting agreements reached.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 1; Federal Rules or Standards: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 1; 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: May 6, 2015.
J. W. Unsworth
Director
NEW SECTION
WAC 220-33-01000M Columbia River seasons below Bonneville.
Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-33-010, WAC 220-33-020, and WAC 220-33-030, it is unlawful for a person to take or possess salmon, sturgeon, and shad for commercial purposes from Columbia River Salmon Management and Catch Reporting Areas 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E and Select Areas, except during the times and conditions listed below:
(1) Mainstem Columbia River
(a) Dates: 4:00 PM Wednesday May 6 to 6:00 AM Thursday May 7, 2015.
(b) Area: SMCRA 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, and 1E (Zones 1-5).
(c) Sanctuaries: Grays River, Elochoman-B, Cowlitz River, Kalama-B, Lewis-B, Sandy, and Washougal rivers.
(d) Allowable Possession: Adipose fin-clipped Chinook salmon and shad.
(e) Gear: Drift nets only. 4 1/4" maximum mesh size (tangle net). Single-wall multi-filament net only. Monofilament tangle nets are not allowed. Mesh size is determined by placing three consecutive meshes under hand tension, and the measurement is taken from the inside of one knot to the inside of the opposite knot of the center mesh. Hand tension means sufficient linear tension to draw opposing knots of meshes into contact. Net length not to exceed 150 fathoms. There are no restrictions on the use of slackers or stringers to slacken the net vertically. There are no restrictions on the hang ratio. The hang ratio is used to horizontally add slack to the net and is determined by the length of the web per length of the corkline.
Net length may be increased from 150 to 175 fathoms for nets constructed with a steelhead excluder panel, weedlines, or droppers. An optional use of a steelhead excluder panel of mesh may be hung between the corkline and the 4 1/4" maximum mesh size tangle net. The excluder panel web must be a minimum mesh size of 12" stretched measure when taut under hand tension. Monofilament mesh is allowed for the excluder panel only. The excluder panel must be a minimum of five feet in depth and must not exceed ten feet in depth as measured from the corkline to the upper margin of the tangle net mesh as the net hangs naturally from a taut corkline. Weedlines or droppers (bobber type) may be used in place of the steelhead excluder panel. A weedline-type excluder means the net is suspended below the corkline by lines of no less than five feet in length between the corkline and the upper margin of the tangle net. A dropper-type excluder means the entire net is suspended below the surface of the water by lines of no less than five feet in length extending from individual surface floats to a submersed corkline. The corkline cannot be capable of floating the net in its entirety (including the leadline) independent of the attached floats. Weedlines or droppers must extend a minimum of five feet above the 4 1/4" maximum mesh size tangle net. Tangle nets constructed with a steelhead excluder panel, weedlines, or droppers must have two red corks at each end of the net, as well as the red corks as required under subsection (1)(f)(ii) of this section.
(f) Miscellaneous Regulations:
(i) Soak times are defined as the time elapsed from when the first of the gillnet web is deployed into the water until the gillnet web is fully retrieved from the water, must not exceed 45 minutes.
(ii) Red corks are required at 25-fathom intervals, and red corks must be in contrast to the corks used in the remainder of the net.
(iii) Recovery Box: Each boat will be required to have on board two operable recovery boxes or one box with two chambers. Each chamber of the recovery box(es) must include an operating water pumping system capable of delivering a minimum flow of 16 gallons per minute, not to exceed 20 gallons per minute of freshwater per chamber. Each box and chamber and associated pump shall be operating during any time that the net is being retrieved or picked. Each chamber of the recovery box must meet the following dimensions as measured from within the box: the inside length measurement must be at or within 39 1/2 inches to 48 inches; the inside width measurements must be at or within 8 to 10 inches; and the inside height measurement must be at or within 14 to 16 inches.
Each chamber of the recovery box must include a water inlet hole between 3/4 inch and 1 inch in diameter, centered horizontally across the door or end wall of the chamber and 1 3/4 inches from the floor of the chamber. Each chamber of the recovery box must include a water outlet hole that is a least 1 1/2 inches in diameter located on either the same or opposite end as the inlet. The center of the outlet hole must be located a minimum of 12 inches above the floor of the box or chamber.
The fisher must demonstrate to WDFW and ODFW employees, fish and wildlife enforcement officers, or other peace officers, upon request, that the pumping system is delivering the proper volume of fresh river water into each chamber.
All sturgeon, non-adipose fin-clipped salmon, and steelhead must be released immediately to the river with care and with the least possible injury to the fish, or placed into an operating recovery box.
Any salmonid that is bleeding or lethargic must be placed in the recovery box prior to being released. All fish placed in recovery boxes must be released to the river prior to landing or docking.
(iv) Observer program: As a condition of fishing, owners or operators of commercial fishing vessels must cooperate with department observers or observers collecting data for the department, when notified by the observer of his or her intent to board the commercial vessel for observation and sampling during the fishery. In addition, cooperation with department personal prior to a fishing period is expected.
(v) Live Capture workshop: Only licensed Columbia River commercial fishers that have completed the required state-sponsored workshop concerning live-capture commercial fishing techniques may participate in this fishery. At least one fisher on each boat must have live-capture certification.
(2) Deep River Select Area
(a) Dates: Open 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM on Monday and Thursday nights from May 7 through June 12, 2015.
(b) Area: From USCG navigation marker #16 upstream to the Highway 4 Bridge.
(c) Gear: Gillnets. 9 3/4-inch maximum mesh. Nets are restricted to 100 fathoms in length with no weight restriction on leadline. Use of additional weights or anchors attached directly to the leadline is permissible. It is unlawful to tie off nets to stationary structures. It is unlawful for a net to fully cross a navigation channel. It is unlawful to operate in any river, stream or channel any gillnet longer than three-fourths the width of the stream (WAC 220-20-015)(1)). It is 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 department rule (WAC 220-20-010)(17)).
(d) Miscellaneous: Except for transport of fish to the sampling station, it is unlawful to transport or possess fish unless and until WDFW has biologically sampled individual catches. After sampling, fishers will be issued a transportation permit by WDFW staff. A sampling station will be established at WDFW's Oneida Road boat ramp, approximately 0.5 miles upstream of the lower Deep River area boundary (USCG navigation marker #16).
(e) Allowable possession: Salmon and shad.
(3) Tongue Point/South Channel
(a) Dates: Open 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM on Monday and Thursday nights from May 7 through June 12, 2015.
(b) Area:
(i) The Tongue Point fishing area includes all waters bounded by a line extended from the upstream (southern most) pier (#1) at the Tongue Point Job Corps facility, through navigation marker #6 to Mott Island; a line from a marker at the southeast end of Mott Island, northeasterly to a marker on the northwest tip of Lois Island; and a line from a marker on the southwest end of Lois Island, westerly to a marker on the Oregon shore.
(ii) The South Channel area includes all waters bounded by a line from a marker on John Day Point through the green USCG buoy #7 to a marker on the southwest end of Lois Island, upstream to an upper boundary line from a marker on Settler Point, northwesterly to the flashing red USCG marker #10, and northwesterly to a marker on Burnside Island defining the upstream terminus of South Channel.
(c) Gear: Gillnets. 9 3/4-inch maximum mesh. In the Tongue Point fishing area, gear is restricted to a maximum net length of 250 fathoms, and weight must not exceed two pounds on any one fathom. In the South Channel fishing area, gear is restricted to a maximum net length of 250 fathoms, there is no weight restriction on leadline, and the use of additional weights or anchors attached directly to the leadline is permissible.
(d) Miscellaneous: Permanent transportation rules are in effect.
(e) Allowable possession: Salmon and shad
(4) Blind Slough/Knappa Slough Select Area
(a) Dates: Open 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM on Monday and Thursday nights from May 7 through June 12, 2015.
(b) Area: Blind Slough and Knappa Slough areas are both open. The lower boundary of the Knappa Slough fishing area is extended downstream to boundary lines defined by markers on the west end of Minaker Island to markers on Karlson Island and the Oregon Shore (fall season boundary).
(c) Gear: Gillnets. 9 3/4-inch maximum mesh. Nets are restricted to 100 fathoms in length, with no weight restriction on leadline. Use of additional weights or anchors attached directly to the leadline is permissible.
(d) Allowable possession: Salmon and shad
(5) The following provisions apply to all seasons listed above:
(a) 24-hour quick reporting is in effect for Washington buyers (WAC 220-69-240 (14)(d)). Permanent transportation rules are in effect.
(b) Multi-Net Rule: It is permissible to possess onboard a vessel nets not specifically authorized for use in these areas so long as they are properly stored (WAC 220-33-001(2)).
(c) Lighted Buoys: Nets fished at any time between official sunset and official sunrise must have lighted buoys on both ends of the net unless the net is attached to the boat. If the net is fished while attached to a boat, then one lighted buoy on the opposite end of the net from the boat is required.
Reviser's note: The typographical errors in the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appear in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040. Reviser's note: The unnecessary underscoring 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 4:00 p.m. May 6, 2015:
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