WSR 98-17-087
PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
DEPARTMENT OF
FISH AND WILDLIFE
[Filed August 18, 1998, 4:58 p.m.]
Subject of Possible Rule Making: Seasonal area closures for coastal Dungeness crab.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 75.08.080.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Certain periods of the current fishing season in deeper waters have a very high incidence of soft shell crab which create a significant degree of product wastage and handling mortality. Removing fishing effort from this segment of the crab population shifts the harvest of those soft shelled crab to a later time frame when they are in hard shell condition and represent a higher economic value to the commercial crab industry.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: The Pacific Fisheries Management Council, through the National Marine Fisheries Service, coordinates with the coastal states any necessary rule-making activities in the United States Exclusive Economic Zone.
Process for Developing New Rule: Agency study.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Bruce Crawford, (360) 902-2325 or fax (360) 902-2944 by October 20, 1998.
August 18, 1998
Evan Jacoby
Rules Coordinator