WSR 26-14-032
EMERGENCY RULES
DEPARTMENT OF
FISH AND WILDLIFE
[Order 26-115—Filed June 23, 2026, 1:55 p.m., effective June 23, 2026, 1:55 p.m.]
Effective Date of Rule: Immediately upon filing.
Purpose: WAC 220-340-52000V: Updates closure dates for spot shrimp areas and removes unnecessary subsections and language from WAC 220-340-52000U that overlapped with permanent rules recently adopted in WSR 26-11-003.
WAC 220-340-52500B: Closes Subregion 1C on June 24, 2026, to harvest by Puget Sound shrimp pot license holders.
WAC 220-340-53000V: Updates opening dates for Puget Sound shrimp beam trawl harvest areas and removes unnecessary subsections and language from WAC 220-340-53000U that overlapped with permanent rules recently adopted in WSR 26-11-003.
Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-340-52000U, 220-340-52000A [220-340-52500A], and 220-340-53000U; and amending WAC 220-340-520, 220-340-520 [220-340-525], and 220-340-530.
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 emergency rule is necessary to stay within the agreed-to quota in Subregion 1C accessible to Puget Sound shrimp pot licenses. Permanent rules regulating state commercial shrimp harvest in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca require adoption of harvest seasons contained in this emergency rule.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 3, Amended 0, Repealed 3.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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: June 23, 2026.
Kelly Susewind
Director
NEW SECTION
WAC 220-340-52000VCommercial spot shrimp pot fishery—Puget Sound.
Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-340-520, effective immediately, until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for spot shrimp for commercial purposes using pot gear in Puget Sound except as provided for in this section:
(1) Spot shrimp pot harvest seasons and accounting periods:
(a) Spot shrimp harvest open periods:
Geographical Management Unit (WAC 220-320-140; WAC 220-320-120) | Open Period |
Subregion 1A | Closed. |
Subregion 1B | Closed. |
Subregion 1C | Closed. |
Region 2E | Closed. |
Region 2W | Closed |
Subarea 23A-E | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Subarea 23A-W | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Subarea 23A-C and Marine Fish-Shellfish (MFSF) Catch Area 23B | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Subarea 23A-S and MFSF Catch Area 23D | Open immediately, until further notice. |
MFSF Catch Area 23C | Open immediately, until further notice. |
MFSF Catch Area 25A, excluding the Discovery Bay Shrimp District | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Discovery Bay Shrimp District | Closed. |
MFSF Catch Area 29 (Straits - Neah Bay) | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Subarea 26B-1 and MFSF Catch Area 26C | Closed. |
Subarea 26B-2 | Closed. |
Region 5 | Closed. |
MFSF Catch Area 26D | Closed. |
MFSF Catch Areas 28A, 28B, 28C, and 28D | Closed. |
(b) The first spot shrimp catch accounting period:
(i) Runs from one hour before official sunrise May 1, through one hour after official sunset August 4, 2026.
(ii) It is unlawful for the combined total harvest during the first spot shrimp accounting period to exceed 5,200 pounds of spot shrimp per license from all Geographical Management Units combined, except for MFSF Catch Area 29. Catch from MFSF Catch Area 29 does not contribute towards a license's catch accounting period harvest limit.
(c) Spot shrimp harvested from different geographical management units (as noted in section 1(a)) on the same day must be kept physically separate and labeled with the MFSF Catch Area of harvest.
(d) It is lawful to possess deactivated non-spot shrimp pots on-board a commercial vessel that is listed on a Puget Sound shrimp pot license while fishing for spot shrimp. A deactivated pot is un-baited, has the drawstring or door fastened open, and/or is unable to be readily fished.
NEW SECTION
WAC 220-340-52500BCommercial nonspot shrimp pot fishery—Puget Sound.
Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-340-520, effective immediately, until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for nonspot shrimp for commercial purposes using pot gear in Puget Sound except as provided for in this section:
(1) Pot gear and area:
All buoys fished on a single vessel must be marked with the unique numeric buoy brand issued to them by the department and prefaced by fishery specific designation:
(a) Buoy brands on buoys attached to nonspot shrimp gear deployed by Puget Sound shrimp pot license holders or operators must be prefaced with an "N" (i.e. "N-0000").
(b) Buoy brands on buoys attached to nonspot shrimp gear deployed by Puget Sound nonspot shrimp pot license holders or operators must be prefaced with an "M" (i.e. "M-0000").
(2) Nonspot shrimp pot harvest seasons and accounting periods:
(a) Nonspot shrimp harvest pot open periods and areas for Puget Sound Shrimp Pot license holders and operators:
Geographical Management Unit (WAC 220-320-140; WAC 220-320-120) | Open Period |
Subregion 1A | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Subregion 1B | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Subregion 1C | Open immediately, through June 24, 2026. |
Region 2E | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Region 2W | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Region 3, not including Discovery Bay Shrimp District | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Discovery Bay Shrimp District | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Region 4 | Closed |
Region 5 | Closed |
Region 6 | Closed |
(i) Nonspot shrimp catch accounting periods:
| Period Number | Start Date | End Date | |
| 1 | 5/1/2026 | 5/12/2026 | |
| 2 | 5/13/2026 | 5/26/2026 | |
| 3 | 5/27/2026 | 6/9/2026 | |
| 4 | 6/10/2026 | 6/23/2026 | |
| 5 | 6/24/2026 | 7/7/2026 | |
| 6 | 7/8/2026 | 7/21/2026 | |
| 7 | 7/22/2026 | 8/4/2026 | |
| 8 | 8/5/2026 | 8/18/2026 | |
| 9 | 8/19/2026 | 9/1/2026 | |
| 10 | 9/2/2026 | 9/15/2026 | |
| 11 | 9/16/2026 | 9/29/2026 | |
| 12 | 09/30/2026 | 10/15/2026 | |
(ii) The nonspot shrimp catch accounting periods begin one hour before official sunrise and end one hour after official sunset on the date listed.
(iii) It is unlawful for Puget Sound Shrimp Pot license holders or operators total harvest of nonspot shrimp to exceed 1,400 pounds per non-spot shrimp catch accounting period from subregions 1B, 1C, and Region 2E combined during catch accounting periods 1 through 12.
(iv) There is no weekly harvest limit of non-spot shrimp from Subregion 1A, Region 2W, Region 3, or the Discovery Bay Shrimp District.
(b) Nonspot shrimp harvest multigear open periods for Puget Sound Nonspot Shrimp Pot license holders:
Geographical Management Unit (WAC 220-301-040; WAC 220-320-140(3); WAC 220-320-120) | Open Period |
The portion of MFSF Catch Areas 22A and 21A in Subregion 1B. | Open immediately, until further notice. |
The portion of MFSF Catch Area 20B within Subregion 1B | Open immediately, until further notice. |
The portion of MFSF Catch Area 20A within Subregion 1C | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Subarea 23A East, MFSF Catch Areas 23B, and MFSF Catch Area 25A outside of the Discovery Bay Shrimp District. | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Subarea 23A West | Open immediately, until further notice. |
MFSF Catch Area 23C | Open immediately, until further notice. |
MFSF Catch Area 29 | Open immediately, until further notice. |
(i) The first nonspot shrimp multigear catch accounting period:
(A) Runs from one hour before official sunrise May 1, through one hour after official sunset August 4, 2026.
(B) It is unlawful for the combined total harvest of a Puget Sound Nonspot Shrimp Pot license holders or operators during the first nonspot shrimp multigear catch accounting period to have exceeded 9,960 pounds of nonpink shrimp (Pandalus danae, P. hypsinotus, P. goniurus, and P. dispar) per license from all Geographical Management Units within Region 1 combined.
(ii) Nonspot shrimp harvest by Puget Sound Nonspot Shrimp Pot license holders in Region 3 is limited to pink shrimp (P. jordani and P. eous borealis). Other species of the nonspot species complex may not be retained in Region 3.
(c) Nonspot shrimp harvested from different geographical management units on the same day must be kept physically separate and labeled with the MFSF Catch Area they were harvested from.
Reviser's note: The typographical error in the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appears in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040. NEW SECTION
WAC 220-340-53000VCommercial shrimp trawl fishery—Puget Sound.
Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-340-530, effective immediately, until further notice,it is unlawful to fish for shrimp for commercial purposes using beam trawl gear in Puget Sound except as described in this section:
(1) Nonspot shrimp trawl harvest seasons:
(a) Nonspot shrimp beam trawl harvest is permitted starting one hour before official sunrise on the hard season opening dates listed for each of the areas detailed below. Any closures take effect one hour after official sunset on the closing day.
Geographic Area Description (WAC 220-301-040; WAC 220-320-140(3); WAC 220-320-120) | Open period |
Catch Area 20A outside of those waters north and east of a line from Point Roberts Light (48.9716°, -123.0838°) to Sandy Point Light at the Lummi Reservation (48.7868°, -122.7124°) | August 1, 2026, until further notice. |
Those waters within the Lummi-Sinclair Triangle. | July 1, 2026, until further notice. |
Those waters of South Lopez Sound. | July 10, 2026, until further notice. |
All waters within subregion 1B, excluding those waters of South Lopez Sound, the Lummi-Sinclair Triangle. | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Subarea 23A East, MFSF Catch Areas 23B, and MFSF Catch Area 25A outside of the Discovery Bay Shrimp District. | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Subarea 23A West | Open immediately, until further notice. |
MFSF Catch Area 23C | Open immediately, until further notice. |
MFSF Catch Area 29 | Open immediately, until further notice. |
(b) Nonspot shrimp beam trawl harvest is permitted starting one hour before official sunrise in the areas detailed below with a WDFW on-board observer on the first trip of the area:
Geographic Area Description ((WAC 220-320-140(3); WAC 220-320-120) | Open period |
Those waters within the Rosario Box. | Open immediately, until further notice. |
Those waters of subregion 1B, not including the Rosario Box, the Lummi-Sinclair Triangle and South Lopez Sound. | Open immediately, until further notice. |
(c) Areas closed to nonspot shrimp beam trawl harvest:
| Geographic Area Description (WAC 220-320-140(3); WAC 220-320-120) | |
| Discovery Bay Shrimp District | |
| Sequim Bay CSMA | |
| MFSF Catch Area 23D | |
| Subregion 1A | |
(d) The first nonspot shrimp multigear catch accounting period:
(i) Runs from one hour before official sunrise May 1, through one hour after official sunset August 4, 2026.
(ii) It is unlawful for the combined total harvest of a Puget Sound Nonspot Shrimp Trawl license holders or operators during the first nonspot shrimp multigear catch accounting period to have exceeded 29,880 pounds of nonpink shrimp (Pandalus danae, P. hypsinotus, P. goniurus, and P. dispar) per license from all Geographical Management Units within Region 1 combined.
REPEALER
The following sections of Washington Administrative Code are repealed, effective immediately:
WAC 220-340-52000U | Commercial spot shrimp pot fishery—Puget Sound. (26-108) |
WAC 220-340-52500A | Commercial nonspot shrimp pot fishery—Puget Sound. (26-63) |
WAC 220-340-53000U | Commercial shrimp trawl fishery—Puget Sound. (26-67) |