Date of Adoption: March 25, 2002.

     Purpose: Amend commercial bottomfish and forage fish rules.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 220-48-005, 220-49-013, and 220-49-056.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.12.047.

      Adopted under notice filed as WSR 02-02-061 on December 28, 2001.

     Changes Other than Editing from Proposed to Adopted Version: WAC 220-48-005(12), 220-48-015, and 220-48-029, withdrawn.

     WAC 220-49-056, restore proposed deletion, withdraw proposed addition, and substitute, "at all times, and those waters of Sinclair Inlet west of a line due south from the ferry dock in Bremerton are open only 8:01 a.m. Wednesday through 7:59 a.m. Friday of each week during the open period."

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 3, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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: Thirty-one days after filing.

March 26, 2002

Debbie Nelson

for Russ Cahill, Chair

Fish and Wildlife Commission

OTS-5398.2

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 98-05-043, filed 2/11/98, effective 3/14/98)

WAC 220-48-005   Puget Sound bottomfish -- General provisions.   (1) It is unlawful to possess any English sole less than 12 inches in length taken by any 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 by any commercial bottomfish gear in all Puget Sound Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas.

     (3) It is unlawful to possess lingcod taken with any commercial gear the entire year 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 any lingcod less than 26 inches in length or greater than 40 inches in length taken by any commercial gear in all state waters east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line.

     (5) It is unlawful to possess lingcod taken by any 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 220-52-063 and 220-52-066.

     (7) Incidental catch.

     (a) It is lawful to retain bottomfish taken incidental to any lawful salmon fishery, provided the bottomfish could be lawfully taken.

     (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 that it is lawful to retain 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 using pelagic trawl gear when these areas have been opened by the director for a directed whiting fishery.

     (8) A vessel trip is defined as having occurred upon the initiation of transfer of catch from a fishing vessel.

     (9) Pacific cod.

     (a) It is unlawful to discard any Pacific cod taken by any commercial fishing gear.

     (b) All Pacific cod taken by a commercial gear shall be landed at a licensed commercial dealer.

     (10) Sablefish. 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. 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 by commercial fishing gear in all Puget Sound Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 98-05-043, § 220-48-005, filed 2/11/98, effective 3/14/98; 94-12-009 (Order 94-23), § 220-48-005, filed 5/19/94, effective 6/19/94; 93-15-051, § 220-48-005, filed 7/14/93, effective 8/14/93; 92-11-011 (Order 92-28), § 220-48-005, filed 5/12/92, effective 6/12/92; 85-08-023 (Order 85-24), § 220-48-005, filed 4/1/85; 83-24-024 (Order 83-200), § 220-48-005, filed 11/30/83, effective 1/1/84; 82-24-080 (Order 82-215), § 220-48-005, filed 12/1/82, effective 1/1/83; 82-14-056 (Order 82-72), § 220-48-005, filed 7/1/82.]

OTS-5399.3

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 98-05-043, filed 2/11/98, effective 3/14/98)

WAC 220-49-013   Herring, anchovy and smelt fishing -- Dip bag net.   (1) Lawful dip bag net gear in the Puget Sound herring and anchovy fisheries shall not exceed 18 square feet. Lawful dip bag net gear in the Puget Sound smelt fishery shall not exceed 36 inches across the frame. It is unlawful to operate a dip net from a vessel under power, and it is unlawful to operate more than one dip net at one time.

     (2) Licensing:

     (a) A smelt dip bag net fishery license is a license required to operate the gear provided for in this section and allows the operator to retain smelt and anchovy.

     (b) A herring dip bag net fishery license is a license required to operate the gear provided for in this section and allows the operator to retain herring.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 98-05-043, § 220-49-013, filed 2/11/98, effective 3/14/98; 94-12-009 (Order 94-23), § 220-49-013, filed 5/19/94, effective 6/19/94; Order 1105, § 220-49-013, filed 12/28/73.]

     (1) Areas 20A and 21A - July 1 to April 15.

     (2) Area 22B - November 1 to April 15.

     (3) Areas 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D - July 1 to April 15.

     (4) Areas 25A and 25E - November 1 to April 15.

     (5) Areas 26B, 26C, 26D, 27B, 27C, 28B, and 28C - October 1 to April 15 except those waters within 200 feet of shore adjacent to department property at Ross Point in Area 26C are closed to commercial smelt harvest at all times, and those waters of Sinclair Inlet west of a line due south from the ferry dock in Bremerton are open only 8:01 a.m. Wednesday through 7:59 a.m. Friday of each week during the open period.

     (6) Areas 28A and 28D - September 1 to April 15.

     (7) All other areas open the entire year.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 98-05-043, § 220-49-056, filed 2/11/98, effective 3/14/98; 94-12-009 (Order 94-23), § 220-49-056, filed 5/19/94, effective 6/19/94; 91-13-051 (Order 91-39), § 220-49-056, filed 6/14/91, effective 7/15/91; 83-24-024 (Order 83-200), § 220-49-056, filed 11/30/83, effective 1/1/84; 83-04-025 (Order 83-04), § 220-49-056, filed 1/27/83; Order 76-148, § 220-49-056, filed 12/2/76; Order 76-26, § 220-49-056, filed 1:45 p.m., 4/20/76; Order 1105, § 220-49-056, filed 12/28/73.]

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