BILL REQ. #:  Z-0789.1 

Read first time 01/09/2006.   Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation.

     AN ACT Relating to a crab pot buoy tag program; and amending RCW 77.70.430.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 77.70.430 and 2005 c 395 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) In order to administer a Puget Sound crab pot buoy tag program, the department may charge a fee to holders of a Dungeness crab -- Puget Sound fishery license to reimburse the department for the production of Puget Sound crab pot buoy tags and the administration of a Puget Sound crab pot buoy tag program.
     (2) In order to administer a Washington coastal Dungeness crab pot buoy tag program, the department may charge a fee to holders of a Dungeness crab -- coastal or a Dungeness crab coastal class B fishery license and to holders of out-of-state licenses who are issued a pot certificate by the department to reimburse the department for the production of Washington coastal crab pot buoy tags and the administration of a Washington coastal crab pot buoy tag program.
     (3) The department shall annually review the costs of crab pot buoy tag production under this section with the goal of minimizing the per tag production costs. Any savings in production costs shall be passed on to the fishers required to purchase crab pot buoy tags under this section in the form of a lower tag fee.