EMERGENCY RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.
Purpose: Amend commercial fishing rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-52-04000D; and amending WAC 220-52-040 and 220-52-075.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.12.047.
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: Mandatory pick rate allowance for coastal crab will be achieved by the opening dates contained herein. The stepped opening periods/areas will also provide for fair start provisions. Pot limits will reduce crowding effect in this restricted fishing area. This will allow delivery of Dungeness crab into closed ports with adequate notice on vessel record keeping. 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Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 2, Amended 0, Repealed 1.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: December 4, 2006.
J. P. Koenings
Director
by Larry Peck
(a) A valid Washington crab vessel inspection certificate has been issued to the delivering vessel. Vessel hold inspection certificates dated November 30, 2006 to December 30, 2006 are only valid in Willapa Bay and the coastal waters south of 46°33.00.
(b) The vessel inspection certificate numbers are recorded on all shellfish tickets completed for coastal Dungeness crab landings through January 31, 2007.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-040, it is lawful for a vessel not designated on a Dungeness crab coastal fishery license to transport or deploy up to 250 pots at any one time for deployment in the coastal crab fishery. The primary operator of the vessel associated with the pots being transported must be aboard the vessel while they are being deployed. All other provisions of the permanent rule remain in effect.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-040, effective immediately until further notice it is unlawful for person participating in the Columbia River, Coastal waters or Willapa Bay commercial Dungeness crab fishery to:
(a) deploy or operate more than 400 shellfish pots if the permanent number of shellfish pots assigned to the Coastal commercial crab fishery license held by that person is 500
(b) deploy or operate more that 250 shellfish pots if the permanent number of shellfish pots assigned to the Coastal Dungeness crab fishery license held by that person is 300
(c) fail to maintain onboard any participating vessel the excess crab pot buoy tags assigned to the Coastal Dungeness crab fishery license being fished.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-040, effective immediately until further notice, it is unlawful to possess or deliver Dungeness crab unless the following conditions are met:
(a) Vessels that participated in the coastal Dungeness crab fishery from Klipsan Beach (46°28.00 North Latitude) to Point Arena CA, including Willapa Bay and the Columbia River may possess crab for delivery into Washington ports south of 47°00.00 N. Lat. provided the crab were taken south of Klipsan (46°28.00 N. Lat.).
(b) The vessel does not enter the area north of 47°00.00 N. Lat. unless the operator of the vessel has contacted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and provides a vessel hold inspection if requested by Fish and Wildlife officers prior to entering this area. Prior to entering the area north of 47°00.00 N. Lat., the vessel operator calls 360-249-4628 extension 253 and reports the vessel name, operator name, estimated amount of crab to be delivered in pounds, and the estimated date, time and location of delivery 24 hours prior to entering the area.
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Reviser's note: The typographical error in the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appears in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040.
NEW SECTION
WAC 220-52-07500F
Shellfish harvest logs reporting
requirements for the coastal Dungeness crab fishery.
Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-075, effective
immediately it is unlawful for any vessel operator engaged in
fishing Dungeness crab in the coastal commercial fishery to
fail to complete a department-issued logbook for all fishing
activity occurring in Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, Columbia
River and the Pacific Ocean waters adjacent to the state of
Washington. It is unlawful for any vessel operator engaged in
fishing to fail to comply with the following method and time
frame related to harvest logbook submittal and record keeping:
(a) The department must receive a copy of the completed logbook sheets within ten days following any calendar month in which fishing occurred. Completed Dungeness crab harvest logs must be sent to the following address: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 48 Devonshire Rd., Montesano, WA. ATTN. COASTAL DUNGENESS CRAB MANAGER.
(b) Vessel operators engaged in fishing Dungeness crab in the coastal commercial fishery must complete a logbook entry for each day fished prior to offloading. Vessel operators responsible for submitting logs to the department must maintain a copy of all submitted logs for up to three years after the fishing activity ended.
(c) Vessel operators can obtain logbooks by contacting the WDFW coastal Dungeness crab manager at 360-249-4628.
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The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is repealed:
| WAC 220-52-04000D | Coastal crab seasons. (06-293) |