For purposes of crab harvest management, Puget Sound commercial crab uses a hierarchy of geographical management units consisting of region, subregion, Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area (catch area), and subarea. This section defines these units.

(1) The following areas are defined as Puget Sound Crab Management Regions and Subregions:

(a) Region 1 - (North Puget Sound): All waters of Catch Areas (see WAC 220-301-040) 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B, 22A, and 22B.

(b) Region 2-East (2E) - (Eastern Central Puget Sound): All waters of Catch Areas 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D, and Subarea 26A-E (subareas defined in subsection (2) of this section).

(c) Region 2-West (2W) - (Western Central Puget Sound): All waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 25B, 25D, and Subarea 26A-W.

(d) Region 3: All waters within Catch Areas 23A, 23B, 23C, 23D, 25A, 25E, and 29.

(i) Subregion 3-1 - (Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca): All waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 23A and 23B.

(ii) Subregion 3-2 - (Southeastern Strait of Juan de Fuca): All waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 23D, 25A, and 25E.

(iii) Subregion 3-3 - (Central Strait of Juan de Fuca): All waters of Subarea 23C-East.

(iv) Subregion 3-4 - (Western Strait of Juan de Fuca): All waters of Subarea 23C-West and Catch Area 29.

(e) Region 4 - (Southern Central Puget Sound): All waters of Catch Areas 26B and 26C.

(f) Region 5 - (Hood Canal): All waters of Catch Areas 25C, 27A, 27B, and 27C.

(g) Region 6 - (South Puget Sound): All waters of Catch Areas 26D, 28A, 28B, 28C, and 28D.

(2) The following areas are defined as Puget SoundCommercial Crab Subareas: For purposes of Puget Sound Crab harvest allocation, fishing season, and catch reporting, Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas (catch areas; WAC 220-301-040) are modified as follows:

(a) Catch Area 23C is divided into two subareas:

(i) Crab Subarea 23C-East (23C-E): All waters of Puget Sound westerly of a line true north from Ediz Hook Light (48.1400°, -123.4025°) to the International Boundary; and easterly of a line projected true north from Low Point (48.1608°, -123.8268°).

(ii) Crab Subarea 23C-West (23C-W): All waters of Puget Sound westerly of a line true north from Low Point (48.1608°, -123.8268°) to the International Boundary; and easterly of a line projected true north from the mouth of the Sekiu River (48.2878°, -124.3954°).

(b) Catch Area 26A is divided into two crab subareas:

(i) Crab Subarea 26A-East (26A-E): All waters of Puget Sound south of a line from Sandy Point (on Whidbey Island; 48.0342°, -122.3764°) to Camano Head (48.0570°, -122.3580°) and from Camano Head to the northern tip of Gedney (Hat) Island (48.0215°, -122.3274°), and from the southern tip of Gedney (Hat) Island (48.0048°, -122.3580°) east to the mainland (to near the northern end of the Everett 10th St. Marina, 48.0048°, -122.2219°), and north and east of a line that extends from the southern tip of Possession Point (47.9061°, -122.3846°) to the shipwreck located 0.8 nautical miles north of Picnic Point (47.8931°, -122.3286°) on the opposite shore.

(ii) Crab Subarea 26A-West (26A-W): All waters of Puget Sound south and east of a line from Foulweather Bluff (47.9392°, -122.6139°) to Double Bluff (47.9677°, -122.5460°), and northerly of a line from Apple Cove Point (47.8146°, -122.4834°) to Point Edwards (47.8027°, -122.3943°), and south and west of a line that extends from the southern tip of Possession Point (47.9061°, -122.3846°) to the shipwreck located 0.8 nautical miles north of Picnic Point (47.8931°, -122.3286°).