Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.

     Purpose: Amend commercial fishing rules.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-24-04000N and 220-24-04000P; and amending WAC 220-24-040.

     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: A harvestable quota of salmon is available for the troll fleet. Chinook catch rates have been lower than expected. An increase in the chinook open period limit is needed to ensure the coastal salmon troll fishery meets the season objectives. These rules are adopted at the recommendation of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, in accordance with preseason fishing plans and the National Marine Fisheries Service from an in-season call. 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     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 2.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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: August 30, 2012.

Philip Anderson

Director

     (1) Salmon Management and Catch Reporting Areas 1, 2, 3, and that portion of Area 4 west of 125º05'00" W longitude and south of 48º23'00" N latitude, open:

     August 31 through September 4, 2012;

     September 7 through September 11, 2012; and

     September 14 through September 17, 2012.

     (2) Landing and possession limit of 150 Chinook and 40 coho per boat per each entire open period for the entire catch areas 1, 2, 3 and 4. Release wild coho.

     (3) The Cape Flattery and Columbia River Control Zones are closed. Mandatory Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area is closed.

     (4) Minimum size for Chinook salmon is 28 inches in length. Minimum size for coho salmon is 16 inches in length. No minimum size for pink, sockeye, or chum salmon, except no chum retention north of Cape Alava, Washington, in August and September. It is unlawful to possess wild coho salmon and halibut.

     (5) Lawful troll gear is restricted to all legal troll gear with single point, single shank barbless hooks.

     (6) Fishers must land and deliver their catch within 24 hours of any closure of a fishery provided for in this section, and vessels fishing or in possession of salmon while fishing north of Leadbetter Point must land and deliver their fish within the area and North of Leadbetter Point. Vessels fishing or in possession of salmon while fishing south of Leadbetter Point must land and deliver their fish within the area and south of Leadbetter Point.

     (7) The Cape Flattery Control Zone is defined as the area from Cape Flattery (48º23'00" N latitude) to the northern boundary of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, and the area from Cape Flattery south to Cape Alava, 48º10'00" N latitude, and East of 125º05'00" W longitude.

     (8) Columbia Control Zone - This is defined as an area at the Columbia River mouth, bounded on the west by a line running northeast/southwest between the red lighted Buoy #4 (46º13'35" N. Lat., 124º06'50" W. long.) and the green lighted Buoy #7 (46º15'09' N. lat., 124º06'16" W. long.); on the east, by the Buoy #10 line, which bears north/south at 357º true from the south jetty at 46º14'00" N. lat., 124º03'07" W. long, to its intersection with the north jetty; on the north, by a line running northeast/southwest between the green lighted Buoy #7 to the tip of the north jetty (46º14'48" N. lat., 124º05'20" W. long.), and then along the north jetty to the point of intersection with the Buoy #10 line; and, on the south, by a line running northeast/southwest between the red lighted Buoy #4 and tip of the south jetty (46º14'03" N. lat., 124º04'05" W. long.), and then along the south jetty to the point of intersection with the Buoy #10 line.

     (9) Mandatory Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area - This is defined as the area in Washington Marine Catch Area 3 from 48º00.00' N latitude; 125º14.00' W longitude to 48º02.00' N latitude; 125º14.00' W longitude to 48º02.00' N latitude; 125º16.50' W longitude to 48º00.00' N latitude; 125º16.50' W longitude and connecting back to 48º00.00' N latitude; 125º14.00' W longitude.

     (10) It is unlawful to fish in Salmon Management and Catch Reporting Areas 1, 2, 3 or 4 with fish on board taken south of Cape Falcon, Oregon; and all fish taken from Salmon Management and Catch Reporting Areas 1, 2, 3, and 4 must be landed before fishing south of Cape Falcon, Oregon.

     (11) It is unlawful for wholesale dealers and trollers retailing their fish to fail to report their landing by 10:00 a.m. the day following landing. Ticket information can be telephoned in by calling 1-866-791-1279, or faxing the information to (360) 902-2949, or e-mailing to trollfishtickets@dfw.wa.gov. Report the dealer name, the dealer license number, the purchasing location, the date of purchase, the fish ticket numbers, the gear used, the catch area, the species, the total number for each species, and the total weight for each species, including halibut.

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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.
REPEALER

     The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is repealed:

WAC 220-24-04000N

All-citizen commercial salmon troll. (12-184)

     The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is repealed effective September 19, 2012:

WAC 220-24-04000P

All-citizen commercial salmon troll.