PDFWAC 220-355-020

Puget Sound bottomfish—General provisions.

(1) It is unlawful to possess English sole less than 12 inches in length taken with commercial bottomfish gear in all Puget Sound Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas.
(2) It is unlawful to possess any starry flounder less than 14 inches in length taken with commercial bottomfish gear in all Puget Sound Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas.
(3) It is unlawful to possess lingcod taken with commercial gear year-round in Puget Sound Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 23D, 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D, 25B, 25C, 25D, 26A, 26B, 26C, 26D, 27A, 27B, 27C, 28A, 28B, 28C, and 28D.
(4) It is unlawful to possess lingcod less than 26 inches in length or greater than 36 inches in length taken with commercial gear in all state waters east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line.
(5) It is unlawful to possess lingcod taken with commercial gear from June 16 through April 30 in Puget Sound Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B, 23A, 23B, 23C, 25A, 25E, and 29.
(6) It is unlawful to possess any species of shellfish taken with lawful bottomfish gear except as provided in WAC 220-340-720 and 220-340-770.
(7) Incidental catch.
(a) It is permissible to retain bottomfish taken incidental to any lawful salmon fishery, provided the bottomfish could be lawfully taken under state law and department rule.
(b) It is unlawful to retain salmon or sturgeon taken incidental to any lawful bottomfish fishery in Puget Sound.
(c) It is unlawful to retain any species of shellfish taken incidental to any bottomfish fishery in Puget Sound, except octopus and squid.
(d) It is unlawful to retain any whiting taken incidental to any bottomfish fishery in Catch Areas 24B, 24C or 26A except when using pelagic trawl gear when these areas have been opened by the director for a directed whiting fishery.
(8) A vessel trip is completed upon the initiation of transfer of catch from a fishing vessel.
(9) Pacific cod.
(a) It is unlawful to discard Pacific cod taken by commercial fishing gear.
(b) All Pacific cod taken by a commercial gear must be landed at a licensed commercial dealer.
(10) Sablefish.
(a) It is unlawful to take more than 300 pounds of sablefish per vessel trip or more than 600 pounds of sablefish per two-month cumulative limit from open Puget Sound Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas.
(b) A two-month cumulative limit is the maximum amount of fish that may be taken and retained, possessed or landed per vessel per two-fixed calendar month period. The fixed two-month periods are January-February, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October and November-December.
(11) Sixgill shark. It is unlawful to retain sixgill shark taken with commercial fishing gear in all Puget Sound Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas.
(12) Rockfish. It is unlawful to retain any species of rockfish taken with commercial fishing gear in all Puget Sound Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas.
(13) Violation of this section is a gross misdemeanor or class C felony, punishable under RCW 77.15.520 or 77.15.550, depending on the gear used or the time and area fished.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, and 77.12.047. WSR 17-05-112 (Order 17-04), amended and recodified as § 220-355-020, filed 2/15/17, effective 3/18/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.055, 77.12.045, and 77.12.047. WSR 12-23-016 (Order 12-267), § 220-48-005, filed 11/9/12, effective 12/10/12. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.020, 77.12.045, 77.12.047 and 50 C.F.R., Parts 223 and 224. WSR 11-07-106 (Order 11-43), § 220-48-005, filed 3/23/11, effective 4/23/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. WSR 02-08-026 (Order 02-66), § 220-48-005, filed 3/27/02, effective 4/27/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 98-05-043, § 220-48-005, filed 2/11/98, effective 3/14/98; WSR 94-12-009 (Order 94-23), § 220-48-005, filed 5/19/94, effective 6/19/94; WSR 93-15-051, § 220-48-005, filed 7/14/93, effective 8/14/93; WSR 92-11-011 (Order 92-28), § 220-48-005, filed 5/12/92, effective 6/12/92; WSR 85-08-023 (Order 85-24), § 220-48-005, filed 4/1/85; WSR 83-24-024 (Order 83-200), § 220-48-005, filed 11/30/83, effective 1/1/84; WSR 82-24-080 (Order 82-215), § 220-48-005, filed 12/1/82, effective 1/1/83; WSR 82-14-056 (Order 82-72), § 220-48-005, filed 7/1/82.]