WSR 22-05-054
EMERGENCY RULES
DEPARTMENT OF
FISH AND WILDLIFE
[Order 22-18—Filed February 9, 2022, 4:12 p.m., effective February 24, 2022]
Effective Date of Rule: February 24, 2022.
Purpose: The purpose of this emergency rule is to open recreational salmon seasons in Marine Area 10, beginning February 24, 2022.
Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-313-06000S; and amending WAC 220-313-060.
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: Estimates of landed catch to date indicate that we have reached 24 percent of the total encounters (8,475), 25 percent of sublegal encounters (7,319), and 46 percent of unmarked encounters (1,105) agreed to in this year's list of agreed fisheries for Catch Record Card Area 10. Feedback from Puget Sound recreational anglers indicates a priority for preserving fishing opportunity for February and March. In order to provide this opportunity and under the advisement of the Puget Sound Sports Fishing Advisory Group, Marine Area 10 will reopen salmon fishing February 24, 2022, with a three day per week open schedule and a one salmon daily limit. The limited opening and daily limit will help extend the fishery as late into the scheduled season as possible. 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Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 1.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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: February 9, 2022.
Kelly Susewind
Director
NEW SECTION
WAC 220-313-06000TPuget Sound salmonSaltwater seasons and daily limits.
Effective February 24 through March 31, 2022 the following provisions of WAC 220-313-060 regarding salmon seasons in Catch Record Card Area 10, except Seacrest Pier, Waterman Pier, Bremerton Boardwalk, and Illahee State Park Pier, shall be as described below. All other provisions of WAC 220-313-060 not addressed herein, or unless otherwise amended by emergency rule, remain in effect:
Catch Record Card Area 10 except Seacrest Pier, Waterman Pier, Bremerton Boardwalk, and Illahee State Park Pier: Salmon:
(a) Open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, each week. Closed Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays each week.
(b) Daily limit 1.
(c) Chinook, minimum size 22 inches. Other salmon species, no minimum size.
(d) Release wild Chinook.
REPEALER
The following section of Washington Administrative Code is repealed, effective February 24, 2022:
WAC 220-313-06000S
Puget Sound salmonSaltwater seasons and daily limits. (22-05)