Reasons for this Finding: The provisions of this rule will continue the current Puget Sound commercial crab harvest in all areas. With exception of Region 3-1, all other commercial areas will have a limit of fifty pots per license per buoy tag number. In Region 3-1, fishers will be allowed to use one hundred pots per license per buoy tag number. There is sufficient allocation available in all of the commercial regions to accommodate this opening. These provisions are in conformity with agreed management plans with applicable tribes. These management plans are entered into as required by court order. The Puget Sound commercial season is structured to meet harvest allocation objectives negotiated with applicable treaty tribes and outlined in the management plans. There is insufficient time to adopt permanent rules.

Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-340-455:

(1) 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 Regions 1, Region 2 East, Region 2 West, Region 3-2, Region 3-3 East or Region 3-3 West. These regions include Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch Reporting Areas 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B, 23C, 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D, 25B, 25D, 26A East, 26 A West and 29.

(2) Effective immediately, until further notice it is lawful for any person to fish for crabs for commercial purposes with 100 pots per license per buoy tag number in Crab Management Region 3-1. This region includes Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch Reporting Area 23A and 23B.

(3) All remaining buoy tags per license per region must be onboard the designated vessel and available for immediate inspection.

(4) 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.

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

Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 26A-W in Useless Bay north and east of a line from the south end of the Double Bluff State Park seawall (47°58.782'N, 122°30.840'W) projected 110 degrees true to the boulder on shore (47°57.690'N, 122°26.742'W).

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

(a) Port Gardner: That portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish 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.

(b) 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.

(c) 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.

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

(a) That portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 25A west of the 123°7.0' longitude line projected from the new Dungeness light due south to the shore of Dungeness Bay.

(b) 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.

(c) 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.