DEPARTMENT OF

FISH AND WILDLIFE

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 deliver or land salmon taken with troll gear into a Washington port except during the seasons provided below:

(1) Salmon Management and Catch Reporting Areas 1, 2, 3, and 4 open:

July 22 through July 28;

August 1 through August 7;

August 15 through August 23, 2016.

(2) Landing and possession limits:

(a) 150 Chinook per vessel per entire open period for the entire Catch Areas 1 and 2.

(b) 125 Chinook per vessel per entire open period for the entire Catch Areas 3 and 4.

(c) No vessel may possess, land or deliver more than 150 Chinook during any open period.

(3) Cape Flattery and Columbia River Control Zones are closed. The Mandatory Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area is closed. Grays Harbor Control Zone is closed beginning August 8.

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

(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 to Ports within salmon management catch areas 1, 2, 3 or 4, including the Ports of Chinook and Ilwaco. Fishers must complete a Washington State Fish Receiving ticket within 24 hours of any closure of a fishery provided for in this section. 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) 249-1215 or by email at Wendy.Beeghley@dfw.wa.gov with Area fished, total Chinook and halibut catch aboard, 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) 249-1215 or by email at Wendy.Beeghley@dfw.wa.gov with Area fished, total Chinook and halibut catch aboard, and destination. 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.

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term "deliver" means arrival at a port.

(b) For the purposes of this section, the term "land" means the transfer of fish from a fishing vessel or the initiation of a fish receiving ticket to include fisher's signature, species, number of fish and pounds of fish.

(7) 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.

(8) The Columbia Control Zone 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°15'48" 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.

(9) The Grays Harbor Control Zone is defined as the area within and east of a line drawn from the Westport Lighthouse (46°53'18" N. lat., 124°07'01" W. long.) to Buoy #2 (46°52'42" N. lat., 124°12'42" W. long.) to Buoy #3 (46°55'00" N. lat., 124°14'48" W. long.) to the Grays Harbor north jetty (46°55'36" N. lat., 124°10'51" W. long.).

(10) The Mandatory Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area is defined as the area in Washington Marine Catch 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.

(11) 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.

(12) 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, 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 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.