EMERGENCY RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Date of Adoption: April 29, 2003.
Purpose: Amend personal use fishing regulations.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-56-32500C; and amending WAC 220-56-325.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 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: This regulation is needed to ensure an orderly fishery, manage within court-ordered sharing requirements, and to ensure conservation. The state recreational share of spot shrimp has been taken in the area closed under this rule. Designation of the Port Townsend Bay Shrimp District is necessary to simplify WAC and pamphlet language, because there are different open days and season length restrictions inside that bay, compared to the remainder of Marine Area 9. There is insufficient time to promulgate 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Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 1.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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Repealed 0;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Repealed 0;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Repealed 0.
Effective Date of Rule:
Immediately.
April 29, 2003
J. P. Koenings
Director
1) Effective immediately, the following area shall be defined as a shrimp fishing district: Port Townsend Shrimp District - All waters of Port Townsend bay south and west of a line from Marrowstone Point to Point Hudson (including Kilisut Harbor).
2) Effective immediately, until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for or possess shrimp taken for personal use in all waters of Marine Area 9, including the Port Townsend Shrimp District.
3) Effective 9:30 p.m., May 1, 2003, until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for or possess shrimp taken for personal use in all waters of Marine Areas 8-1, 8-2 and 10.
4) It is unlawful to fish for or possess shrimp from those waters of Hood Canal south of the Hood Canal floating bridge except as provided for in this section:
(a) Fishing for shrimp is allowed between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on the following dates: May 17, 21, 24, and 28, 2003.
(b) No shrimp fishers may set gear before 9:00 a.m. or leave shrimp fishing gear in the water after 1:00 p.m. each day of the fishery.
(c) Fishers are not required to retain the heads of shrimp taken while in the field.
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The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is repealed effective immediately:
| WAC 220-56-32500C | Shrimp -- Areas and seasons (03-64) |