PERMANENT RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Date of Adoption: February 6, 2004.
Purpose: Amend coastal spot shrimp rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 220-88B-030 and 220-88B-040.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.12.047.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 04-01-136 on December 18, 2003.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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Repealed 0;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Repealed 0;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Repealed 0.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.
February 10, 2004
Susan Yeager
for Will Roehl, Chair
Fish and Wildlife Commission
OTS-6888.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending Order 03-187, filed 8/7/03,
effective 9/7/03)
WAC 220-88B-030
Emerging commercial fishery -- Eligibility
for coastal experimental fishery permits -- Terms and conditions
of use -- Renewal -- Vessel restriction -- Incidental catch.
(1) No
individual may hold more than one Washington coastal spot
shrimp experimental fishery permit.
(2) Coastal spot shrimp experimental fishery permits are not transferable. Only the vessel designated on the emerging commercial fishery license and coastal spot shrimp experimental fishery permit may be used to fish for or deliver spot shrimp.
(3) A coastal spot shrimp experimental fishery permit will be issued only to a natural person who:
(a) Held such a permit the previous year; and
(b) Can demonstrate by valid Washington fish receiving tickets that at least 1,000 cumulative round weight pounds of spot shrimp taken from waters of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to the state of Washington were landed from the person's designated vessel or vessels during the previous two calendar years. Landings of spot shrimp reported as "tails" on fish receiving tickets will be converted to round pounds by multiplying the reported weight of tails by two.
(4) Coastal spot shrimp experimental fishery permits may be revoked by the director, and future permits denied by the director, for failure to comply with conditions specified in the permits or violations of other fishing regulations. A coastal spot shrimp experimental fishery permit will not be renewed if the emerging commercial fishery license is revoked or future fishing privileges of the licensee are suspended.
(5) The director may issue a coastal spot shrimp experimental fishery permit to another person if a permittee fails to make the requisite landings, if the person's experimental coastal spot shrimp experimental fishery permit is revoked, or if no application for an emerging commercial fishery license is received by March 31st of each year. The total number of permits issued, including replacement permits, shall not exceed fifteen. Selection of persons to receive replacement permits shall be by gear or gear replacement type, and replacement permits will be offered in descending order first to persons who made the largest total of Washington coastal spot shrimp landings in each gear type during the original qualifying period, and then in descending order to persons who made the largest total of Washington coastal spot shrimp landings in each gear type. If no persons with coastal spot shrimp landings wish to participate, the director may offer a replacement permit by random drawing.
(6) Coastal spot shrimp experimental fishery permits are only valid for the year issued and expire on December 31st of the year issued with the expiration of the emerging commercial fishery license.
(7) The total allowable catch of spot shrimp taken from Washington territorial waters west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line and from adjacent waters of the Pacific Ocean during a calendar year is 250,000 pounds round weight provided that not more than 100,000 pounds may be taken south of 47°04.00' N. latitude.
(8) Beginning January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2005, the allowable catch shall be allocated as follows: 175,000 pounds available to all permit holders and 75,000 pounds available to fishers who were converted from trawl to pot permits. Beginning January 1, 2006, the allowable catch is available to all permit holders.
(9) Vessel restriction: A coastal spot shrimp experimental fishery permit will not be issued to a person who designates a vessel greater than ten feet longer than the vessel designated as of March 31, 2003, provided that if the vessel designated as of March 31, 2003, is ten or more feet greater than the vessel used by the person to initially qualify for a coastal spot shrimp experimental fishery permit, the person may not designate a vessel greater in length than the vessel designated as of March 31, 2003.
(10) Incidental catch:
(a) It is unlawful to retain more than 50 pounds round weight of other shrimp species. It is lawful to retain octopus and squid.
(b) It is unlawful to retain salmon.
(c) It is unlawful to retain any bottomfish species
((except as provided for in WAC 220-44-050)).
[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. 03-17-007 (Order 03-187), § 220-88B-030, filed 8/7/03, effective 9/7/03; 02-02-050 (Order 01-287), § 220-88B-030, filed 12/27/01, effective 1/27/02; 00-17-107 (Order 00-152), § 220-88B-030, filed 8/16/00, effective 9/16/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 99-01-154 (Order 98-257), § 220-88B-030, filed 12/22/98, effective 1/22/99.]
(1) Season - Open to shellfish pot gear the entire year.
(2) Gear restrictions:
(a) Maximum of 500 shellfish pots per permit.
(b) Pot size is limited to a maximum 153 inch bottom perimeter and a maximum 24 inch height.
(c) Shrimp pot gear must be constructed with net webbing or rigid mesh, and at least 50 percent of the net webbing or mesh covering the sides of the pot must easily allow passage of a seven-eighths inch diameter dowel.
(d) Pot gear is required to have an escape mechanism as provided for in WAC 220-52-035.
(e) Groundline end marker buoys must be floating and visible on the surface of the water, equipped with a pole, flag, radar reflector and operating light, and marked with the clear identification of the permittee.
(3) Incidental catch: It is unlawful to retain any
species of finfish or shellfish taken with spot shrimp pot
gear, except that it is lawful to retain octopus, squid, and
up to 50 pounds round weight of other shrimp species taken
with shrimp pot gear. It is ((lawful)) unlawful for persons
fishing in the coastal spot shrimp experimental fishery to
((participate in the coastal bottomfish fishery under WAC 220-44-050, and to retain)) deliver spot shrimp while having
on board bottomfish taken in ((that)) the coastal bottomfish
fishery under WAC 220-44-050.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. 02-02-050 (Order 01-287), § 220-88B-040, filed 12/27/01, effective 1/27/02; 00-17-107 (Order 00-152), § 220-88B-040, filed 8/16/00, effective 9/16/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 99-01-154 (Order 98-257), § 220-88B-040, filed 12/22/98, effective 1/22/99.]