S-3585.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6150
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 55th Legislature 1998 Regular Session
By Senator Swecker
Read first time 01/12/98. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources & Parks.
AN ACT Relating to evaluating selective fishing methods; and amending RCW 75.28.770.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 75.28.770 and 1994 c 264 s 46 are each amended to read as follows:
The
((department shall)) fish and wildlife commission shall jointly
evaluate and recommend, ((in consultation)) with the Indian tribes in
consultation with the non-Indian commercial and recreational fishing industries,
salmon fishery management strategies and gear types, as well as a schedule for
implementation, that will minimize the impact of commercial and recreational
fishing in the mixed stock fishery on critical and depressed wild stocks of
salmonids. ((As part of this evaluation, the department, in conjunction
with the commercial and recreational fishing industries, shall evaluate
commercial and recreational salmon fishing gear types developed by these
industries. The department shall present status reports to the appropriate
committees of the legislature by December 31 of each year in 1993, 1994, and
1995, and shall present the final evaluation and recommendations by December
31, 1996.)) These selective fishing strategies shall minimize impacts
upon weak fish stocks in order to assist species recovery under the endangered
species act. Fishing gear and fishing methods that cannot be made compatible
with the protection of weak stocks shall be recommended for prohibition. The
commission shall present final recommendations to the appropriate legislative
committees by December 31, 1998.
If the commission fails to produce a report by December 31, 1998, then a written explanation shall be provided to the office of financial management and to the appropriate legislative committees documenting the reasons why selective fishing recommendations could not be developed in a timely manner.
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