SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SHB 2149

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

           Natural Resources & Parks, March 28, 1997

Title:  An act relating to removing landing requirements for the Puget Sound commercial crab fishery and allowing two licensees to operate one vessel.

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

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

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Natural Resources & Parks:  3/28/97 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES & PARKS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Oke, Chair; Rossi, Vice Chair; Hargrove, Jacobsen, Morton, Prentice, Roach, Snyder, Spanel, Stevens and Swecker.

Staff:  Ross Antipa (786-7413)

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 of Bill:  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 for each license.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The Puget Sound commercial crab fishery is undergoing a period of downsizing and there is expectation of federal funding for a license buyout.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Ed Owens, Coalition of Coastal Fishers (pro).