Read first time 01/19/2007.   Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources.

     AN ACT Relating to charter licenses; amending RCW 77.65.150, 77.65.210, and 77.32.470; adding a new section to chapter 77.12 RCW; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that:
     (a) Seven rockfish stocks, including canary and yelloweye rockfish, have been designated under federal law by the national marine fisheries services as overfished on the west coast.
     (b) The department of fish and wildlife has classified certain rockfish species within Puget Sound as critically depressed. These common species of rockfish have undergone dramatic declines in Puget Sound and the coast during the past three decades.
     (c) The Pacific fishery management council and the department of fish and wildlife have eliminated the directed commercial fisheries and greatly reduced the recreational fishing opportunity for these species.
     (d) Due to the interactions of these depleted stocks with the healthier ones, commercial and recreational fisheries have been severely constrained in recent years in order to rebuild the populations of these overfished rockfish. For many of these stocks there have been no recent stock assessments, or the current assessments are based on poor data. Improved survey information is essential for assessing abundance and to monitor progress toward rebuilding efforts on the coast and in Puget Sound.
     (e) Department of fish and wildlife staff have been developing underwater robot technology or remote operated vehicles to scientifically estimate the abundance of rockfish populations in both the nearshore and in deep waters. These new assessment techniques, coupled with existing bottom trawl surveys, will be used to estimate current abundance and future recovery of rockfish populations along the coast of Washington and in Puget Sound.
     (2) Therefore, the legislature intends to implement a targeted surcharge on commercial licenses issued by the department of fish and wildlife that provides for the retention or landing of ground fish, and a targeted surcharge on recreational saltwater fishing licenses. Funds derived from the surcharge will be used by the department of fish and wildlife solely for the purpose of conducting rockfish research and stock assessments.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 77.12 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The department is directed to develop and implement a rockfish research and stock assessment program. Using funds from the rockfish research account created in subsection (2) of this section, the department must conduct Puget Sound basin and coastal surveys with new and existing technology to estimate the current abundance and future recovery of rockfish populations and other groundfish species. The stock assessment must include an evaluation of the potential for marine fish enhancement. Beginning December 2008, and every two years thereafter, the department shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature on the status of the stock assessment program.
     (2) The rockfish research account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from surcharges assessed on commercial and recreational fishing licenses for the purposes of rockfish research must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for rockfish research, including stock assessments. Only the director of the department or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

Sec. 3   RCW 77.65.150 and 2006 c 186 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The director shall issue the charter licenses and angler permits listed in this section according to the requirements of this title. The licenses and permits and their annual fees and surcharges are:

Sec. 4   RCW 77.65.210 and 2005 c 20 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a person may not use a commercial fishing vessel to deliver food fish or shellfish taken for commercial purposes in offshore waters to a port in the state without a nonlimited entry delivery license. As used in this section, "deliver" and "delivery" mean arrival at a place or port, and include arrivals from offshore waters to waters within the state and arrivals ashore from offshore waters. As used in this section, "food fish" does not include salmon. As used in this section, "shellfish" does not include ocean pink shrimp, coastal crab, or fish or shellfish taken under an emerging commercial fisheries license if taken from off-shore waters. The annual license fee for a nonlimited entry delivery license is one hundred ten dollars for residents and two hundred dollars for nonresidents, and an additional thirty-five dollar surcharge for both residents and nonresidents to be deposited in the rockfish research account created in section 2 of this act.
     (2) Holders of salmon troll fishery licenses issued under RCW 77.65.160, salmon delivery licenses issued under RCW 77.65.170, crab pot fishery licenses issued under RCW 77.65.220, food fish trawl -- Non-Puget Sound fishery licenses, and emerging commercial fishery licenses issued under RCW 77.65.200, Dungeness crab -- coastal fishery licenses, ocean pink shrimp delivery licenses, shrimp trawl -- Non-Puget Sound fishery licenses, and emerging commercial fishery licenses issued under RCW 77.65.220 may deliver food fish or shellfish taken in offshore waters without a nonlimited entry delivery license.
     (3) A nonlimited entry delivery license authorizes no taking of food fish or shellfish from state waters.

Sec. 5   RCW 77.32.470 and 2005 c 192 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A personal use saltwater, freshwater, combination, temporary, or family fishing weekend license is required for all persons fifteen years of age or older to fish for or possess fish taken for personal use from state waters or offshore waters.
     (2) The fees for annual personal use saltwater, freshwater, or combination licenses are as follows:
     (a) A combination license allows the holder to fish for or possess fish, shellfish, and seaweed from state waters or offshore waters. The fee for this license is thirty-six dollars for residents, seventy-two dollars for nonresidents, and five dollars for youth. There is an additional fifty-cent surcharge for this license, to be deposited in the rockfish research account created section 2 of this act.
     (b) A saltwater license allows the holder to fish for or possess fish taken from saltwater areas. The fee for this license is eighteen dollars for residents, thirty-six dollars for nonresidents, and five dollars for resident seniors. There is an additional fifty-cent surcharge for this license, to be deposited in the rockfish research account created section 2 of this act.
     (c) A freshwater license allows the holder to fish for, take, or possess food fish or game fish species in all freshwater areas. The fee for this license is twenty dollars for residents, forty dollars for nonresidents, and five dollars for resident seniors.
     (3)(a) A temporary combination fishing license is valid for one to five consecutive days and allows the holder to fish for or possess fish, shellfish, and seaweed taken from state waters or offshore waters. The fee for this temporary fishing license is:
     (i) One day - Seven dollars for residents and fourteen dollars for nonresidents;
     (ii) Two days - Ten dollars for residents and twenty dollars for nonresidents;
     (iii) Three days - Thirteen dollars for residents and twenty-six dollars for nonresidents;
     (iv) Four days - Fifteen dollars for residents and thirty dollars for nonresidents; and
     (v) Five days - Seventeen dollars for residents and thirty-four dollars for nonresidents.
     (b) The fee for a charter stamp is seven dollars for a one-day temporary combination fishing license for residents and nonresidents for use on a charter boat as defined in RCW 77.65.150.
     (c) A transaction fee to support the automated licensing system will be taken from the amounts set forth in this subsection for temporary licenses.
     (d) Except for active duty military personnel serving in any branch of the United States armed forces, the temporary combination fishing license is not valid on game fish species for an eight-consecutive-day period beginning on the opening day of the lowland lake fishing season.
     (e) There is an additional fifty-cent surcharge on the temporary combination fishing license and the associated charter stamp, to be deposited in the rockfish research account created in section 2 of this act.
     (4) A family fishing weekend license allows for a maximum of six anglers: One resident and five youth; two residents and four youth; or one resident, one nonresident, and four youth. This license allows the holders to fish for or possess fish taken from state waters or offshore waters. The fee for this license is twenty dollars. This license is only valid during periods as specified by rule of the department.
     (5) The commission may adopt rules to create and sell combination licenses for all hunting and fishing activities at or below a fee equal to the total cost of the individual license contained within any combination.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.