S-1534.2  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5104

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation (originally sponsored by Senators Haugen, Swecker, Spanel and Fraser)

Read first time 03/03/1999.

Allowing the fish and wildlife commission to adopt rules to protect the catch and release steelhead fishery.

    AN ACT Relating to catch and release recreational fisheries; adding new sections to chapter 77.12 RCW; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the practice of establishing exclusive catch and release recreational fisheries on steelhead trout by the fish and wildlife commission requires that the commission commit significant resources to assure that these fisheries are not subject to abuse by unknowing or uncaring anglers, and that the fish and wildlife commission adopt rules that maximize recreational opportunities without harming the steelhead resource.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 77.12 RCW to read as follows:

    The commission shall not authorize steelhead catch and release seasons or areas in cases where there is insufficient enforcement staffing to assure that there is a low mortality rate for catch and release steelhead fisheries.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 77.12 RCW to read as follows:

    The commission shall assess the threat to the steelhead trout resource posed by catch and release fisheries that occur on the spawning beds while spawning fish are present.  The commission shall adopt rules that minimize the adverse effects of catch and release fisheries on spawning steelhead trout.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  A steelhead catch and release mortality study shall be conducted by the department of fish and wildlife in order to assess the rates of steelhead mortality during a catch and release fishery.  At least one aspect of the study shall assess the affects of warm stream conditions on the survival of released steelhead.

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