ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6127
State of Washington
65th Legislature
2018 Regular Session
By Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks (originally sponsored by Senator Van De Wege)
READ FIRST TIME 02/02/18.
AN ACT Relating to improving the management of the state's halibut fishery; and amending RCW 77.32.430.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1.  RCW 77.32.430 and 2011 c 339 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Catch record card information is necessary for proper management of the state's food fish and game fish species and shellfish resources. Catch record card administration shall be under rules adopted by the commission. Except as provided in this section, there is no charge for an initial catch record card. Each subsequent or duplicate catch record card costs eleven dollars.
(2) A license to take and possess Dungeness crab is only valid in Puget Sound waters east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line if the fisher has in possession a valid catch record card officially endorsed for Dungeness crab. The endorsement shall cost no more than seven dollars and fifty cents when purchased for a personal use saltwater, combination, or shellfish and seaweed license. The endorsement shall cost no more than three dollars when purchased for a temporary combination fishing license authorized under RCW 77.32.470(3)(a).
(3) Catch record cards issued with affixed temporary short-term charter stamp licenses are neither subject to the ten-dollar charge nor to the Dungeness crab endorsement fee provided for in this section. Charter boat or guide operators issuing temporary short-term charter stamp licenses shall affix the stamp to each catch record card issued before fishing commences. Catch record cards issued with a temporary short-term charter stamp are valid for one day.
(4) A catch record card for halibut is five dollars.
(5) The department shall include provisions for recording marked and unmarked salmon in catch record cards issued after March 31, 2004.
(((5))) (6)(a) The funds received from the sale of catch record cards, catch card penalty fees, and the Dungeness crab endorsement must be deposited into the state wildlife account created in RCW 77.12.170.
(i)(A) One dollar of the funds received from the sale of each Dungeness crab endorsement must be used for the removal and disposal of derelict shellfish gear either directly by the department or under contract with a third party. The department is required to maintain a separate accounting of these funds and provide an annual report to the commission and the legislature by January 1st of every year.
(B) The remaining portion of the funds received from the sale of each Dungeness crab endorsement must be used for education, sampling, monitoring, and management of catch associated with the Dungeness crab recreational fisheries.
(ii) Funds received from the sale of halibut catch record cards must be used for monitoring and management of recreational halibut fisheries, including expanding opportunities for recreational anglers.
(b) Moneys allocated under this section shall supplement and not supplant other federal, state, and local funds used for Dungeness crab recreational fisheries management.
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