S-1577.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5508

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation (originally sponsored by Senators Spanel, Oke, Snyder, Jacobsen, Rossi and Rasmussen)

Read first time 02/18/1999.

Increasing harvest data accuracy for the recreational crab fishery.

    AN ACT Relating to catch record card requirements for recreational crab fishers; adding a new section to chapter 77.32 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the department of fish and wildlife manages the recreational crab fishery through an imprecise system of catch estimation.  Increased harvest data accuracy is needed for the recreational crab fishery and this goal can be accomplished through the establishment of a crab catch record card system.

    The department shall utilize data from the crab catch record cards in preparing catch reports and in catch-sharing negotiations.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 77.32 RCW to read as follows:

    In addition to a combination fishing license, saltwater fishing license, temporary fishing license, or a family fishing weekend license, a crab catch record card is required to fish for and harvest Dungeness crabs (Cancer magister) in the recreational fishery.  The crab catch record card shall be administered under the rules of the commission.

    The commission shall require that fishers carry their card when fishing for crab, that harvest data be immediately entered onto the card when crab are harvested, and that it be mandatory that the card is returned to the department when it has expired.

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