WSR 25-19-042
EMERGENCY RULES
DEPARTMENT OF
FISH AND WILDLIFE
[Order 25-216—Filed September 9, 2025, 4:43 p.m., effective September 9, 2025, 4:43 p.m.]
Effective Date of Rule: Immediately upon filing.
Purpose: This emergency rule extends the preseason registration deadline for Puget Sound commercial salmon net fisheries in Puget Sound Salmon Management and Catch Reporting Areas 7, 7A, 10, 11, 12, 12B, and 12C.
Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 220-354-050.
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 rule is needed to extend the registration and limited participation salmon net fisheries preseason commercial salmon application deadline. The registration requirements for Puget Sound commercial salmon fisheries in WAC 220-354-050 are new this year. Extension of preseason commercial salmon application registration deadlines for the first chum fisheries of the year will ensure that license holders have ample time to understand and comply with the new requirements so that they can participate in chum fisheries. Applicants who missed the original deadline of the second Monday of September will be added to the bottom of the randomly-ordered registration list so that applicants who met the original deadline do not fall below late applicants, should the registration list be used to limit participation for any fishery openings. 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Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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 9, 2025.
Kelly Susewind
Director
NEW SECTION
WAC 220-354-05000ECommercial fisheries—Salmon—Limited participation salmon net fisheries.
Effective immediately, until further notice, the following provisions of WAC 220-354-050 regarding requirements for the preseason commercial salmon application for participation in a registration and limited participation salmon net fishery, shall be modified as described in this section. All other provisions of WAC 220-354-050 not addressed in this section, or unless otherwise amended, remain in effect:
(1) A person who owns a valid department issued commercial salmon license must apply and register for the fisheries in WAC 220-354-050(1) by submitting an online preseason commercial salmon application to the Department. License holders include License owner, primary operator, alternate operator(s), or license lessees. Submission of the online preseason commercial salmon application is required to be an eligible participant in any registration and limited participation salmon net fishery as described in WAC 220-354-050(1);
(2) Preseason commercial salmon application requirements must be followed as described in WAC 220-354-050 (5)(a);
(3) Preseason applications for Catch Reporting Area 7/7A chum, Catch Reporting Area 10/11 chum, and Catch Reporting Area 12/12B/12C chum that were received by September 8 (the second Monday of September) have been randomly ordered as described in WAC 220-354-050 (6)(a) and (b). Applications for Catch Reporting Area 7/7A chum, Catch Reporting Area 10/11 chum, and Catch Reporting Area 12/12B/12C chum submitted between September 9 and 11:59 p.m. September 21 will be added to end of the list described in WAC 220-354-050 (6)(a) and (b) in the order received. Applications received after 11:59 p.m. September 21 will not be considered, and license holders will not be eligible to participate in these fisheries.