EMERGENCY RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Effective Date of Rule: December 8, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
Purpose: Amend commercial fishing rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-52-04000X and 220-52-04600Z; and amending WAC 220-52-040 and 220-52-046.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.12.047 and 77.04.020.
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: Pot limits for selected regions control harvest rates to achieve seasonal objectives and maintain state-tribal sharing agreements. Returning to a fifty pot limit in Region 2 East is the result of receiving final recreational crab harvest estimates that reduced the state commercial share in this region. The area closure in Catch Area 26A West complies with state-tribal agreements to close this zone to avoid handling mortality of softshell crab. There is insufficient time to adopt 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Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 2, Amended 0, Repealed 2.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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 7, 2010.
Philip Anderson
Director
1) Effective immediately until further notice, it is unlawful for any person to fish for crabs for commercial purposes with more than 50 pots per license per buoy tag number in Crab Management Region 2 West (which includes Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 25B, 25D, and 26A-W). The remaining 50 buoy tags per license per region must be onboard the designated vessel and available for inspection in Crab Management Region 2 West.
2) Effective 8:00 a.m. December 8, 2010, until further notice, it is unlawful for any person to fish for crabs for commercial purposes with more than 50 pots per license per buoy tag number in Crab Management Region 2 East (which includes Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D, and 26A-E). The remaining 50 buoy tags per license per region must be onboard the designated vessel and available for inspection in Crab Management Regions 1 and 2 East.
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(1) Effective immediately until further notice, it is permissible to fish for Dungeness crab for commercial purposes in the following areas:
(a) Port Gardner: Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 26A west of a line that extends from the spiral staircase at Howarth Park due north to the south end of Gedney Island and intersecting a line projected from the outermost tip of the ferry dock at Mukilteo projected to the green #3 buoy at the mouth of the Snohomish River.
(b) Possession Point to Glendale: That portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 26A east of a line that extends true north from the green #1 buoy at Possession Point to Possession Point, and west of a line from the green #1 buoy at Possession Point extending northward along the 200-foot depth contour to the Glendale dock.
(c) Langley: That portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 24C shoreward of the 400-foot depth contour within an area described by two lines projected northeasterly from Sandy Point and the entrance to the marina at Langley.
(d) Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 20A between a line from the boat ramp at the western boundary of Birch Bay State Park to the western point of the entrance of the Birch Bay Marina, and a line from the same boat ramp to Birch Point.
(e) Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 22B in Fidalgo Bay south of a line projected from the red number 4 entrance buoy at Cape Sante Marina to the northern end of the eastern most oil dock.
(f) Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 22A in Deer Harbor north of a line projected from Steep Point to Pole Pass.
(2) Effective 6:00 p.m. December 31, 2010, until further notice, it is permissible to fish for Dungeness crab for commercial purposes in Port Gardner: Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 26A west of a line that extends from the spiral staircase at Howarth Park due north to the south end of Gedney Island and intersecting a line projected from the outermost tip of the ferry dock at Mukilteo projected to the green #3 buoy at the mouth of the Snohomish River.
(3) Effective immediately until further notice, the following areas are closed to commercial crab fishing:
(a) That portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 25A west of the 123º7.0' longitude line projected from the new Dungeness light due south to the shore of Dungeness Bay.
(b) That portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 23D west of a line from the eastern tip of Ediz Hook to the ITT Rayonier Dock.
(c) Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 24A east of a line projected due north from the most westerly tip of Skagit Island and extending south to the most westerly tip of Hope Island, thence southeast to Seal Rocks, thence southeast to the green can buoy at the mouth of Swinomish Channel, thence easterly to the west side of Goat Island.
(4) Effective 6:00 p.m. December 31, 2010, until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for Dungeness Crab for commercial purposes in those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 26A within the area east of a line from the spiral staircase at Howarth Park due north to the south end of Gedney Island and that portion of 24B east of a line from the north end of Gedney Island to Camano Head and south of a line drawn from Camano Head to Hermosa Point (north end of Tulalip Bay).
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The following sections of the Washington Administrative
code are repealed, effective 8:00 a.m. December 8, 2010:
| WAC 220-52-04000X | Commercial crab fishery -- Lawful and unlawful gear, methods, and other unlawful acts. (10-304) |
| WAC 220-52-04600Z | Puget Sound crab fishery -- Seasons and areas. (10-296) |