WSR 15-17-050
EMERGENCY RULES
DEPARTMENT OF
FISH AND WILDLIFE
[Order 15-260—Filed August 13, 2015, 1:14 p.m., effective August 13, 2015, 1:14 p.m.]
Effective Date of Rule: Immediately upon filing.
Purpose: Amend commercial salmon troll fishing rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-24-04000Z; and amending WAC 220-24-040.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.020, 77.12.045, and 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: A small amount of Chinook quota remains for the troll fishery, requiring a reduction in weekly vessel Chinook limits. These rules are adopted at the recommendation of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, in accordance with preseason fishing plans. 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Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 1.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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: August 13, 2015.
Joe Stohr
for J. W. Unsworth
Director
NEW SECTION
WAC 220-24-04000A All-citizen commercial salmon troll.
Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-24-040, effective immediately until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for salmon with troll gear or to land salmon taken with troll gear into a Washington port except during the seasons provided for in this section:
(1) Salmon Management and Catch Reporting Areas 1, 2, 3, and that portion of Area 4 west of 125°05'00" W longitude and south of 48°23'00" N latitude, open:
August 14 through August 18, 2015;
August 21 through August 25, 2015;
August 28 through September 1, 2015;
September 4 through September 8, 2015;
September 11 through September 15, 2015;
September 18 through September 22, 2015.
(2) Landing and possession limits:
(a) 50 Chinook and 50 marked coho per boat per each entire open period for Catch Areas 1, 2, 3 and 4.
(b) No vessel may possess, land or deliver more than 50 chinook and 50 marked coho during any open period. The Cape Flattery and Columbia River Control Zones are closed. Mandatory Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area is closed. Beginning August 10 the Grays Harbor Control Zone is closed.
(3) 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.
(4) Lawful troll gear is restricted to all legal troll gear with single-point, single-shank barbless hooks.
(5) 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. Vessels in possession of salmon north of the Queets River may not cross the Queets River line without first notifying WDFW by phone at (360) 902-2739 or by email at Douglas.Milward@dfw.wa.gov with area fished, total Chinook and halibut catch on board, and destination. Vessels in possession of salmon south of the Queets River may not cross the Queets River line without first notifying WDFW by phone at (360) 902-2739 or by email at Douglas.Milward@dfw.wa.gov with Area fished, total Chinook and halibut catch on board, and destination.
(6) The Cape Flattery Control Zone is defined as the area from Cape Flattery (48°23'00" N latitude) to the northern boundary of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, and the area from Cape Flattery south to Cape Alava, 48°10'00" N latitude, and east of 125°05'00" W longitude.
(7) 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 (46°13'35" N. Lat., 124°06'50" W. long.) and the green lighted Buoy #7 (46°15'09' N. lat., 124°06'16" W. long.); on the east, by the Buoy #10 line, which bears north/south at 357° true from the south jetty at 46°14'00" N. lat., 124°03'07" 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 (46°14'48" N. lat., 124°05'20" 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 (46°14'03" N. lat., 124°04'05" W. long.), and then along the south jetty to the point of intersection with the Buoy #10 line.
(8) Mandatory Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area - This is defined as the area in Salmon Management and Catch Reporting Area 3 from 48°00.00' N latitude; 125°14.00' W longitude to 48°02.00' N latitude; 125°14.00' W longitude to 48°02.00' N latitude; 125°16.50' W longitude to 48°00.00' N latitude; 125°16.50' W longitude and connecting back to 48°00.00' N latitude; 125°14.00' W longitude.
(9) Grays Harbor Control Zone - The area defined by a line drawn from the Westport Lighthouse (46°53.18' N latitude, 124°07.01' W longitude) to Buoy #2 (46°52.42' N latitude, 124°12.42' W longitude) to Buoy #3 (46°55.00' N latitude, 124°14.48' W longitude) to the Grays Harbor north jetty (46°55.36' N latitude, 124°10.51' W longitude).
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.
(10) 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.
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.
Reviser's note: The unnecessary underscoring 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 220-24-04000Z
All-citizen commercial salmon troll. (15-243)