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HOUSE BILL 2625
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Passed Legislature - 2002 Regular Session
State of Washington 57th Legislature 2002
Regular Session
By
Read first time 01/23/2002. Referred to
Committee on Natural Resources.
Allowing the use of
purse seine and other lawful fishing gear in certain waters.
AN ACT Relating to
eliminating the exclusivity of gill net gear in certain waters; amending RCW
77.50.010; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec.
1. The legislature finds
that the economic well-being and stability of the fishing industry and the
conservation of the food fish resources of the state of Washington are best
served by providing managers with all available tools to stabilize and
distribute the commercial harvest of targeted Puget Sound salmon stocks. In
recent years, segments of the industry in cooperation with the department of
fish and wildlife have funded studies examining modification of harvest
practices and fishing gear, particularly purse seine gear, to minimize or avoid
impacts on nontargeted Puget Sound salmon stocks.
The legislature finds
that the new Pacific salmon treaty agreement of 1999 will drastically reduce
the commercial harvest of Fraser river sockeye salmon while likely providing
increased harvest opportunities in areas of Puget Sound where only gill net
gear is now authorized. This exclusive limitation is contrary to the long-term
needs of the fishing industry and inconsistent with the legislature's intent to
stabilize harvest levels while selectively targeting healthy salmon stocks.
Sec. 2. RCW 77.50.010 and 1998 c
190 s 75 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) The commission may
authorize commercial fishing for sockeye salmon within the waters described in
subsection (2) of this section only during the period June 10th to July 25th
and for other salmon only from the second Monday of September through November
30th, except during the hours between 4:00 p.m. of Friday and 4:00 p.m. of the
following Sunday.
(2) All waters east and
south of a line commencing at a concrete monument on Angeles Point in Clallam
county near the mouth of the Elwha River on which is inscribed "Angeles
Point Monument" (latitude 48E 9' 3" north, longitude 123E 33' 01" west of Greenwich Meridian); thence
running east on a line 81E 30' true across the flashlight and bell buoy off
Partridge Point and thence continued to longitude 122E 40' west; thence north to the southerly shore of
Sinclair Island; thence along the southerly shore of the island to the most
easterly point of the island; thence 46E true to Carter Point, the most southerly point
of Lummi Island; thence northwesterly along the westerly shore line of Lummi
Island to where the shore line intersects line of longitude 122E 40' west; thence north to the mainland,
including: The southerly portion of Hale Passage, Bellingham Bay, Padilla Bay,
Fidalgo Bay, Guemes Channel, Skagit Bay, Similk Bay, Saratoga Passage, Holmes
Harbor, Possession Sound, Admiralty Inlet, Hood Canal, Puget Sound, and their
inlets, passages, waters, waterways, and tributaries.
(3) The commission may
authorize commercial fishing for salmon with gill net, purse seine, and
other lawful gear prior to the second Monday in September within the waters
of Hale Passage, Bellingham Bay, Samish Bay, Padilla Bay, Fidalgo Bay, Guemes
Channel, Skagit Bay, and Similk Bay, to wit: Those waters northerly and
easterly of a line commencing at Stanwood, thence along the south shore of
Skagit Bay to Rocky Point on Camano Island; thence northerly to Polnell Point
on Whidbey Island.
(4) Whenever the
commission determines that a stock or run of salmon cannot be harvested in the
usual manner, and that the stock or run of salmon may be in danger of being
wasted and surplus to natural or artificial spawning requirements, the
commission may authorize units of gill net and purse seine gear in any number
or equivalents, by time and area, to fully utilize the harvestable portions of
these salmon runs for the economic well being of the citizens of this state.
Gill net and purse seine gear other than emergency and test gear authorized by
the director shall not be used in Lake Washington.
(5) The commission may
authorize commercial fishing for pink salmon in each odd-numbered year from
August 1st through September 1st in the waters lying inside of a line
commencing at the most easterly point of Dungeness Spit and thence projected to
Point Partridge on Whidbey Island and a line commencing at Olele Point and
thence projected easterly to Bush Point on Whidbey Island.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 3. Section 2 of this act
takes effect July 1, 2002.
