EMERGENCY RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Date of Adoption: March 9, 2004.
Purpose: Amend commercial fishing rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-52-04600K; and amending WAC 220-52-046.
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: The closure of catch areas specified in this regulation is required by state/tribal management agreement for softshell concerns or to meet allocation objectives. 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Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 1.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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Repealed 0;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Repealed 0;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Repealed 0.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:
March 10, 2004, 8:00 p.m.
March 9, 2004
J. P. Koenings
Director
by Larry Peck
(1) Effective immediately, until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for Dungeness crab for commercial purposes in Catch Areas, 23D, 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D, 25A, 25B, 25D, 25E 26A-E and 26A-W.
(2) Effective immediately until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for Dungeness crab for commercial purposes in that portion of Marine Fish/Shellfish Catch Area 22A that includes Lopez Sound and Blakely Sound, south of a line extending from Upright Head to the green flashing marker on the southwest tip of Obstruction Island; west of a line extending due south from the green flashing marker on the southwest tip of Obstruction Island to Blakely Island; west of a line drawn from the red flashing buoy at the southern tip of Blakely Island across Thatcher Pass to the white flashing marker at Fauntleroy Point on the northwest corner of Decatur Island and west of a line drawn due south through Lopez Pass from the red flashing marker on the southern tip of Decatur Island to the point of land across Lopez Pass on Lopez Island. The closed area includes Shoal, Swifts, Hunter, Mud, Reads, Brigantine, and Sylvan Bays and Blakely Island Shoal.
(3) Effective immediately until further notice, it will be lawful to fish for Dungeness Crab for commercial purposes in the following areas:
(a) That portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 21B in Samish Bay south of a line from Fish Point and Point Williams in water deeper than 60 feet.
(4) Effective 7:00 p.m. March 14, 2004 until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for Dungeness crab for commercial purposes in Marine Fish/Shellfish Catch Areas 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B, 23A and 23B.
(5) Effective 7:00 p.m. March 31, 2004 until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for Dungeness crab for commercial purposes in Marine Fish/Shellfish Catch Areas 23C and 29.
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The following section of the Washington Administrative
Code is repealed effective 8:00 p.m. March 10, 2004:
| WAC 220-52-04600K | Crab fishery -- Seasons and areas. (04-43) |