DEPARTMENT OF

FISH AND WILDLIFE

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-040, effective immediately until further notice, it is unlawful for any fisher or wholesale dealer or buyer to land or purchase Dungeness crab taken from Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, Columbia River, or Washington coastal or adjacent waters of the Pacific Ocean until further notice, from any vessel, unless:

(a) The vessel inspection certificate numbers are recorded on all shellfish tickets completed for coastal Dungeness crab landings until further notice and;

(b) A valid Washington crab vessel inspection certificate has been issued to the delivering vessel. Vessel-hold inspection certificates dated from December 15, 2013, to January 15, 2014, are only valid for the area south of 46°28.00 N. Lat.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-040, effective immediately until further notice, it is unlawful for persons participating in the Columbia River, Coastal, 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 than 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.

(3) 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 allows 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 must call 360-581-3337, and report 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.

Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-046, effective immediately until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for Dungeness crab in Washington coastal waters, the Pacific Ocean, Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, or the Columbia River, except as provided for in this section.

(1) Open area: The area from Klipsan Beach (46°28.00) to the WA/OR border (46°15.00) and Willapa Bay.

(2) For the purposes of this order, the waters of Willapa Bay are defined to include the marine waters east of a line connecting 46°44.76 N, 124°05.76 W and 46°38.93 N, 124°04.33 W.

(3) Crab gear may be set beginning at 8:00 a.m., December 13, 2013.

(4) It is permissible to pull crab gear beginning at 12:01 a.m., December 16, 2013.

(5) Licenses and vessels designated to those licenses that participate in the coastal commercial Dungeness crab fishery in the waters from Point Arena, California, to Klipsan Beach, Washington (46°28.00), including Willapa Bay, before the area north of Klipsan Beach (46°28.00) opens, are prohibited from:

a. Fishing in the area between Klipsan Beach (46°28.00) and Oysterville (46°33.00) until 10 days have elapsed from the time that the area north of Klipsan Beach opens.

b. Fishing in the area between Oysterville (46°33.00) and the U.S. Canadian border until 35 days have elapsed from the time that the area north of Oysterville opens

(6) All other provisions of the permanent rule remain in effect.

Reviser's note: The section above appears as filed by the agency pursuant to RCW 34.08.040; however, the reference to WAC 220-52-046000D is probably intended to be WAC 220-52-04600D.