S-608                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5136

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Owen, Metcalf, Amondson, Moore and Smith

Read first time 1/16/89 and referred to Committee on Environment & Natural Resources.

AN ACT Relating to a fish identification card; adding a new section to chapter 75.08 RCW; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 75.08 RCW to read as follows:

          In order to maintain an orderly fishery and to correctly identify food fish and game fish species, the departments of fisheries and wildlife shall jointly develop a fish identification card.  The card shall be designed to give the public clear ways to identify the species of fish they have caught so that the species can be recorded using the existing punchcard identification system.

          The departments shall work jointly to design a plastic card which will differentiate salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout species by color, markings, and other physical attributes.  The card shall be sold by fish license dealers at cost, plus an amount to recover that part of the appropriation authorized by section 2 of this act that is necessary for start-up costs.  The department shall establish the cost of the card and insure its distribution.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The sum of five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the department of fisheries for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, for the purposes of design and initial production of the identification card.