FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2149

                         C 233 L 97

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Modifying licensing provisions for a dungeness crab‑‑Puget Sound fishery license.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by  Representatives Linville, Buck, Regala, Gardner, Kessler and Anderson).

House Committee on Natural Resources

Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Parks

Background:  The Puget Sound Dungeness crab fishery is subject to limited entry requirements.  To renew a Dungeness crab Puget Sound license, a person must have held the license during the prior year and have harvested at least 1,000 pounds of crab in the fishery over the past two seasons.

Rules adopted by the Department of Fish and Wildlife restrict the total number of pots fished from a vessel to 100 when fishing for Dungeness crab in Puget Sound.  This provision applies regardless of the number of license-holders on the vessel.

Summary:  The catch requirements for renewing a Puget Sound Dungeness crab license are eliminated.  A person who has two Dungeness crab Puget Sound licenses may operate the licenses if the vessel owner or alternate operator is on board the vessel.  The department must allow a license-holder to operate up to 100 crab pots per each license.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  96 0

Senate 46 0

Effective:July 27,  1997