WSR 14-19-021 EMERGENCY RULES DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE [Order 14-241—Filed September 5, 2014, 4:16 p.m., effective September 7, 2014] Effective Date of Rule: September 7, 2014.
Purpose: Amend commercial fishing rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-52-04000J; and amending WAC 220-52-040.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.020, and 77.12.047.
Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.
Reasons for this Finding: The weekly landing limit and period is necessary to mitigate handling mortality from sorting soft shelled crab and is in conformity with the coastal Dungeness crab summer fishery management plan. Washington department of fish and wildlife permitted gear recovery is allowed by permanent regulation fifteen days following the close of the commercial season to allow fish and wildlife officers time to enforce rules relative to fishing during the closed season. An earlier start to the permitted gear recovery gives participants more time to recover lost gear before weather conditions become prohibitive to safe gear recovery efforts. There is insufficient time to adopt permanent rules.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 2, Amended 0, Repealed 1.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: September 5, 2014.
Philip Anderson
Director
NEW SECTION
WAC 220-52-04000K Coastal crab fishery—Weekly trip limits.
Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-040: effective immediately until further notice:
(1) It is unlawful for any person licensed to fish under a Dungeness crab-coastal fishery license to possess or land crab in excess of 2,500 pounds taken during each of the following coastal crab accounting periods:
(a) September 7 through September 13, 2014
(b) September 14 through September 15, 2014
(2) Any crab taken prior to September 7, 2014, and not landed before 11:59 p.m. September 6, 2014, become part of the September 7 through September 13, 2014 accounting period catch.
(3) It is unlawful for any person taking crab under subsection (1) of this section to fish for crab during any accounting period while having on board any crab taken in a different accounting period.
NEW SECTION
WAC 220-52-04000L Coastal crab fishery—Coastal crab gear recovery permit.
Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-044: effective immediately until further notice, five days after the close of the primary coastal commercial crab season, a coastal crab gear recovery permit may be granted by the director or his or her designee for licensed coastal Dungeness crab fishers to recover crab pots belonging to state licensed fishers that remain in the ocean.
REPEALER
The following section of the Washington Administrative code is repealed effective September 7, 2014:
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