FINAL BILL REPORT

                  ESSB 5508

                         PARTIAL VETO

                          C 399 L 99

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Increasing harvest data accuracy for the recreational crab fishery.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation (originally sponsored by Senators Spanel, Oke, Snyder, Jacobsen, Rossi and Rasmussen).

Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation

House Committee on Natural Resources

House Committee on Appropriations

Background:  The Department of Fish and Wildlife currently requires catch record cards of salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and halibut recreational fishermen.  Catch record cards are utilized as a means of recording each fish caught and providing catch data to the department at the end of the license year.

Catch record cards are not currently required in the recreational shellfish fishery.  Increased harvest data accuracy could be achieved in the crab fishery with the use of catch record cards.

Summary:  Recreational crab fishers are required to possess a crab catch record card and immediately enter harvest data when dungeness crab are caught.  The Fish and Wildlife Commission must develop rules for the administration of the crab catch record card.

Data from crab catch record cards must be utilized in preparing catch reports and in catch-sharing negotiations.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 46 0

House     89 5 (House amended)

Senate    44 0 (Senate concurred)

Effective:  July 25, 1999

Partial Veto Summary:  The statutory requirement for crab fishers to possess a crab catch record card is vetoed, as is the emergency clause.