Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.

     Purpose: Amend commercial fishing rules.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 220-88E-030.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.12.047.

      Adopted under notice filed as WSR 06-16-018 on July 24, 2006.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: October 6, 2006.

J. P. Koenings, Director

Nancy Burkhart

for Ron Ozment, Chair

Fish and Wildlife Commission

OTS-9007.1

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending Order 05-245, filed 10/14/05, effective 11/14/05)

WAC 220-88E-030   Hagfish pot trial fishery -- Season and gear.   It is unlawful to fish for hagfish for commercial purposes except as provided in this section:

     (1) Season - Open year-round to hagfish pot gear only.

     (2) Area - Open only in Pacific Ocean waters greater than 50 fathoms in depth.

     (3) Gear restrictions:

     (a) Maximum of ((50)) 100 hagfish pots per permit. Pots may be fished individually or on a common ground line.

     (b) Hagfish pot gear requirements:

     (i) Maximum entrance tunnel size of eleven square inches. Entrance tunnels may be of any shape.

     (ii) Each pot is required to have at least one escape exit of at least nine and one-half square inches in opening and which must be constructed of 120 thread size or smaller untreated cotton twine.

     (c) Buoy requirements: Hag fish pot gear must be buoyed. 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. If ground lines are used, ground line end marker buoys must display the number of pots on the ground line.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. 05-21-067 (Order 05-245), § 220-88E-030, filed 10/14/05, effective 11/14/05.]

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