EMERGENCY RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Date of Adoption: February 10, 2000.
Purpose: Commercial fishing rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-52-07300T; and amending WAC 220-52-073.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 75.08.080.
Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.
Reasons for this Finding: Harvestable amounts of sea urchins exist in the areas described. A maximum daily landing limit is needed to prevent overharvest of the non-Indian share in Griffin Bay. Two divers are allowed when a vessel is designated on two licenses, consistent with SB 5658 passed by the 1999 legislature. Prohibition of all diving within two days of scheduled sea urchin openings discourages the practice of fishing on closed days and hiding the unlawful catch underwater until the legal opening. There is insufficient time to promulgate permanent rules.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 1.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0. Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.
February 10, 2000
J. P. Koenings
Director
by Larry Peck
Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-073, effective immediately until further notice it is unlawful to take or possess sea urchins taken for commercial purposes except as provided for in this section:
(1) Red sea urchins: The Griffin Bay Special Management Area is open only on Monday, February 14, 2000. The maximum daily landing for a vessel on February 14, 2000 is 2,400 pounds of red sea urchins. It is unlawful to harvest red sea urchins smaller than 4.0 inches or larger than 5.5 inches (size in diameter exclusive of the spines).
(2) Green sea urchins: Sea Urchin Districts 3 and 4 are open only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays each week until further notice. Marine Fish/Shellfish Catch Reporting Areas 26B, 26C, 26D, and 28A are open only on February 16 and 17, 2000. The minimum size for green sea urchins is 2.25 inches in diameter exclusive of the spines.
(3) Only one diver from each harvesting vessel is allowed in the water at any one time during the sea urchin harvest operation or when commercial quantities of sea urchins are aboard, except that two divers may be in the water if the vessel has been designated on two sea urchin dive fishery licenses.
(4) It is unlawful to dive for any purpose from a commercially-licensed fishing vessel, except vessels actively fishing geoducks under contract with the Washington Department of Natural Resources on Saturdays and Sundays of each week.
(5) Griffin Bay Special Management Area: Those waters of San Juan Channel and Upright Channel within the following lines: north of a line from Cattle Point on San Juan Island to Davis Point on Lopez Island, south of a line projected from Flat Point on Lopez Island to the northernmost point of Turn Island and thence projected true west to San Juan Island.
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The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is repealed:
| WAC 220-52-07300T | Sea urchins. (00-10) |