PROPOSED RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 06-04-002.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: Sturgeon size limits.
Hearing Location(s): Red Lion Hotel Wenatchee, 1225 North Wenatchee Avenue, Wenatchee, on June 9-10, 2006, starts at 9:00 a.m. on June 9, 2006.
Date of Intended Adoption: June 9, 2006.
Submit Written Comments to: Rules Coordinator, 600 Capitol Way, Olympia, WA 98501-1091, e-mail jacobesj@dfw.wa.gov, fax (360) 902-2155, by June 2, 2006.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Nancy Burkhart by May 26, 2006, TTY (360) 902-2207 or (360) 902-2267.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: Standardize green sturgeon upper size limits.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: Protect broodstock sturgeon.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.12.047.
Statute Being Implemented: RCW 77.12.047.
Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.
Name of Proponent: Department of fish and wildlife, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Evan Jacoby, 1111 Washington Street, Olympia, (360) 902-2930; Implementation: Lew Atkins, 1111 Washington Street, Olympia, (360) 902-2651; and Enforcement: Bruce Bjork, 1111 Washington Street, Olympia, (360) 902-2373.
A small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW.
2. Kinds of Professional Services That a Small Business is Likely to Need in Order to Comply with Such Requirements: None.
3. Costs of Compliance for Businesses, Including Costs of Equipment, Supplies, Labor, and Increased Administrative Costs: None.
4. Will Compliance with the Rule Cause Businesses to Lose Sales or Revenue? Commercial sturgeon fishers will be required to release green sturgeon over sixty inches in length. The primary fishery for these sturgeon is the Columbia River estuary, where release is already required under the Columbia River sturgeon management agreement. It is anticipated that the number of green sturgeon required to be released from the commercial fisheries in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor will be a maximum of one hundred fish. Green sturgeon in this size range are about thirty-pound fish, which sell for $1.50 per pound. Thus the entire loss for the commercial fishery will not exceed $4,500.
5. Cost of Compliance for the 10% of Businesses That are the Largest Businesses Required to Comply with the Proposed Rules Using One or More of the Following as a Basis for Comparing Costs:
a. Cost per employee;
b. Cost per hour of labor; or
c. Cost per one hundred dollars of sales.
There are no costs of compliance.
6. Steps Taken by the Agency to Reduce the Costs of the Rule on Small Businesses or Reasonable Justification for Not Doing So: There are no costs.
7. A Description of How the Agency Will Involve Small Businesses in the Development of the Rule: This rule has been implemented in the Columbia River through the Columbia River sturgeon management agreement between Washington and Oregon, which has had industry participation at all stages. The by-catch in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor is so insignificant that it will have virtually no effect on those fisheries, which catch white sturgeon as a by-catch to the salmon gillnet fishery, and green sturgeon as a subset of that by-catch. Green sturgeon are routinely discarded to allow retention of additional white sturgeon.
A copy of the statement may be obtained by contacting Evan Jacoby, 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091, phone (360) 902-2930, fax (360) 902-2155, e-mail jacobesj@dfw.wa.gov.
A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. These rule proposals do not affect hydraulics.
May 3, 2006
Evan Jacoby
Rules Coordinator
OTS-8856.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending Order 06-39, filed 3/9/06,
effective 4/9/06)
WAC 220-20-020
General provisions -- Lawful and unlawful
acts -- Food fish other than salmon.
(1) It is unlawful to fish
for or possess for commercial purposes any round, undressed
((white)) sturgeon less than 48 inches or greater than 60
inches in length ((or any round, undressed green sturgeon less
than 48 inches or greater than 66 inches in length)).
(2) It is unlawful to fish for or possess for commercial purposes or possess aboard a commercial fishing vessel for any purpose any species of halibut (Hippoglossus) unless permitted by the current regulations of the International Pacific Halibut Commission.
(3) It is unlawful to fish for or possess for commercial purposes sturgeon taken from any of the waters of Puget Sound or tributaries, and any sturgeon taken with any type of commercial gear incidental to a lawful fishery shall immediately be returned to the water unharmed.
(4) It is unlawful to fish for food fish for commercial purposes in the waters of Shilshole Bay inland and inside a line projected in a southwesterly direction from Meadow Point to West Point.
(5) It is unlawful to fish for or possess for commercial purposes any starry flounder less than 14 inches in length taken by any commercial gear, in all Puget Sound Marine Fish-Shellfish Areas.
(6) It shall be unlawful to harvest herring eggs naturally deposited on marine vegetation or other substrate, unless a person has a permit issued by the director.
(7) It is unlawful to fish for or possess carp taken for commercial purposes except as authorized by written permit from the director, except that carp taken incidental to a commercial fishery for other species may be retained for commercial purposes. Failure to comply with the provisions of the carp permit constitutes unlawful use of the carp commercial fishery license
(8) It is unlawful to fin sharks in Washington state waters, and it is unlawful to possess shark fins in the field unless the carcass of the shark is retained, except that once a commercially taken shark carcass has been delivered to a licensed wholesale dealer or a person acting in that capacity, and the sale of the shark has been recorded on a fish receiving ticket, the shark fins need not be retained with the shark carcass.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. 06-07-045 (Order 06-39), § 220-20-020, filed 3/9/06, effective 4/9/06; 02-23-002 (Order 02-278), § 220-20-020, filed 11/6/02, effective 12/7/02; 02-02-049 (Order 01-286), § 220-20-020, filed 12/27/01, effective 1/27/02; 00-17-106 (Order 00-149), § 220-20-020, filed 8/16/00, effective 9/16/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 00-01-103 (Order 99-215), § 220-20-020, filed 12/16/99, effective 1/16/00; 98-15-031 (Order 98-120), § 220-20-020, filed 7/7/98, effective 8/7/98; 97-07-043 (Order 97-51), § 220-20-020, filed 3/14/97, effective 4/14/97; 95-23-020 (Order 95-166), § 220-20-020, filed 11/8/95, effective 12/9/95; 93-14-042 (Order 93-54), § 220-20-020, filed 6/29/93, effective 7/30/93. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080 and 75.28.245. 90-07-003 (Order 90-17), § 220-20-020, filed 3/8/90, effective 4/8/90. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 90-06-045 (Order 90-15), § 220-20-020, filed 3/1/90, effective 4/1/90; 80-09-072 (Order 80-69), § 220-20-020, filed 7/18/80; 79-03-014 (Order 79-11), § 220-20-020, filed 2/15/79; Order 77-147, § 220-20-020, filed 12/16/77; Order 77-14, § 220-20-020, filed 4/15/77; Order 76-148, § 220-20-020, filed 12/2/76; Order 76-26, § 220-20-020, filed 4/20/76; Order 1193-A, § 220-20-020, filed 3/5/75; Order 1193, § 220-20-020, filed 3/4/75; Order 1143, § 220-20-020, filed 8/8/74; Order 1105, § 220-20-020, filed 12/28/73; Order 1057, § 220-20-020, filed 5/22/73; Order 1045, § 220-20-020, filed 3/8/73; Order 988, § 220-20-020, filed 4/28/72; Order 920, § 220-20-020, filed 5/13/71; Order 862, § 220-20-020, filed 4/16/70; Order 817, § 220-20-020, filed 5/29/69; Order 810, § 220-20-020, filed 4/17/69.]