Brief Description: Modifying definitions of charter licenses.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation (originally sponsored by Senators Doumit, Jacobsen, Schoesler, Regala, Morton and Honeyford).

Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation
House Committee on Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks

Background: A salmon charter license or a nonsalmon license is required to operate a charter boat to take food fish and shellfish.

A charter boat is defined as a vessel from which persons may, for a fee, fish for food fish or shellfish for personal use, and that brings food fish or shellfish into state ports or brings food fish or shellfish taken from state waters into United States ports. The term does not mean a vessel used by a guide for clients fishing for food fish for personal use in freshwater rivers, streams, and lakes, other than Lake Washington or the Columbia River below the bridge at Longview.

A charter boat licensed in Oregon may fish without a Washington charter license, when operating from the southern border of the state to Leadbetter Point, so long as the vessel does not land at any Washington port with the purpose of taking on or discharging passengers. This provision applies so long as the state of Oregon has reciprocal laws and regulations.

Summary: The circumstances under which a charter license is required are changed. A salmon or nonsalmon charter license is required to operate a charter boat from which persons may, for a fee, fish for food fish and shellfish.

The definition of a charter boat is changed to include vessels from which persons may, for a fee, fish for food fish or shellfish for personal use in specified state waters, or offshore waters or the waters of other states. Those state waters specified are Puget Sound, Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, Pacific Ocean waters, Lake Washington, or the Columbia River below the bridge at Longview.

A charter boat licensed in Oregon may fish without a Washington charter license, when operating from the southern border of the state to Leadbetter Point, so long as the vessel does not take on or discharge passengers from a Washington port, the Washington shore, or a dock, landing, or other point in Washington.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      48   0
House      97   0

Effective: June 7, 2006