Date of Adoption: June 27, 2002.

     Purpose: Amend commercial fishing rules.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-52-05100C and 220-69-24000C; and amending WAC 220-52-051 and 220-69-240.

     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 rule is necessary to meet allocation, conservation and management agreements. Openings and closures are consistent with these elements. Spot shrimp quotas have been reached in areas closed by this rule. Emergency rapid reporting requirements are necessary as quotas can be far exceeded in one day of fishing. A weekly landing limit for spot shrimp is necessary to reduce risk of over-harvest, maintain an orderly fishery, provide the ability to enforce state/tribal plan requirements, and to ensure conservation. 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     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 2, Amended 0, Repealed 2.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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: June 27, 2002, 8:00 p.m.

June 27, 2002

Evan Jacoby

for Jeff Koenings

Director

     (1) Shrimp pot gear:

     (a) All waters of Crustacean Management Regions 1A, 1C, 2, 3, 4, and 6 are open to harvest of all shrimp species until further notice, except as provided below:

     (i) Effective immediately, until further notice, it is unlawful to harvest spot shrimp for commercial purposes in Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch and Reporting Area 23D.

     (ii) Effective 8:00 p.m. June 27, 2002, until further notice, it is unlawful to harvest spot shrimp for commercial purposes in Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch and Reporting Area 25D.

     (iii) Effective immediately, until further notice, it is unlawful to harvest shrimp for commercial purposes in Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch and Reporting Area 23A-W (described in subsection 1(f)).

     (iv) Effective 8:00 p.m. June 30, 2002, until further notice, it is unlawful to harvest shrimp for commercial purposes in Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch and Reporting Areas 26B-1 (described in subsection 1(h)) and 26C.

     (v) Effective immediately, closed until 8:00 a.m. on July 10 in Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch and Reporting Area 22A south of a line projected east and west from the northern tip of Trump Island.

     (b) It is unlawful for the combined total harvest of spot shrimp by a fisher and/or the fisher's alternate operator to exceed 600 pounds per week, or to exceed 300 pounds per week from Crustacean Management Regions 1B, 1C, 2, 4 and 6, except, any fisher whose weekly shrimp harvest activity is exclusively limited to Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch and Reporting Areas 23C, 29, or the southwestern portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch and Reporting Area 23A (west of a line projected 335 degrees true from the Dungeness lighthouse), or any combination of these areas, shall not be subject to the weekly spot shrimp trip limit for that week. The spot shrimp trip limit accounting week is Monday through Sunday. It is unlawful to fish for any shrimp while in possession on board the fishing vessel spot shrimp harvested from the previous trip limit accounting week or weeks.

     (c) It is unlawful to fish for shrimp for commercial purposes in Puget Sound using shellfish pot gear in more than one Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area per day. Fishers may move all of their shellfish pot gear from one Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area to another Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area if a harvest report is made before the shellfish pot gear is moved. The harvest activity report must be made consistent with the provisions of WAC 220-52-075 and must also include the following additional information.

     (i) The number of pots being moved to a new area and the Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area that the pots are being moved to.

     (d) It is unlawful to set or pull shellfish pots in one Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch Reporting Area while in possession of shrimp harvested from another Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch Reporting Area except shellfish pots may be set in a new fishing area subsequent to making a report as indicated in Section 1(f) above.

     (e) For purposes of shrimp pot harvest allocation, fishing season, and catch reporting, that portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 22A south of a line due east from the international boundary to Lime Kiln Point light on San Juan Island, then south of the shores of San Juan Island, then south of a line from Cattle Point on San Juan Island to Davis Point on Lopez Island, then south of the shores of Lopez Island to Point Colville shall be considered to be part of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 23A.

     (f) For purposes of shrimp harvest allocation, fishing season, and catch reporting, Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch and Reporting Area 23A is divided into three subareas: 23A-E (east) is those waters of Catch Area 23A east of a line projected 122.59°N longitude. 23A-W (west) is those waters of Catch Area 23A east of a line projected 335 degrees true from the Dungeness lighthouse and west of a line projected 122.59°N longitude. 23A-S (south) is those waters of Catch Area 23A west of a line projected 335 degrees true from the Dungeness lighthouse.

     (g) For purposes of shrimp harvest allocation, fishing season, and catch reporting, Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch and Reporting Area 26A is divided into two subareas: 26A-E (east); those waters of Catch Area 26A north and east of a line projected 110 degrees true from the southern tip of Possession Point on Whidbey Island to the shipwreck on the opposite shore. 26A-W (west); those waters of Catch Area 26A south and west of a line projected 110 degrees true from the southern tip of Possession Point on Whidbey Island to the shipwreck on the opposite shore.

     (h) For purposes of shrimp harvest allocation, fishing season, and catch reporting, Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch and Reporting Area 26B is divided into two subareas: 26B-1; those waters of Catch Area 26B westerly of a line projected from West Point to Alki Point. 26B-2; those waters easterly of a line projected from West Point to Alki Point.

     (2) Shrimp beam trawl gear:

     (a) Crustacean Management Region 1B - Open until further notice, except as provided below:

     (i) Effective immediately, until 8:00 a.m. July 1, 2002, it is unlawful to harvest shrimp for commercial purposes in Marine Fish Shellfish Catch and Reporting Area 21A. Effective July 1 Area 21A remains closed except for waters of 21A north and west of a line from the southern tip of Sinclair Island to Carter Point on Lummi Island.

     (ii) It is unlawful to fish for shrimp in Puget Sound with shellfish beam trawl gear in waters of Lopez Sound (22A) south of a line projected east and west from the northern tip of Trump Island until 8:00 a.m. on July 10.

     (b) Crustacean Management Region 3 - Open until further notice.

     (c) It is unlawful to fish for shrimp in Puget Sound with beam trawl gear in waters shallower than 100 feet.

     (d) The following restrictions apply to shrimp trawl harvest in Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 20A:

     (i) Closed in waters east of a line from the southwest corner of Point Roberts to Sandy Point.

     (ii) Closed in waters shallower than 20 fathoms.

     (e) For purpose of shrimp trawl catch reporting, 23A East is that portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 23A, east of a line projected true north from the Dungeness lighthouse. 23A West is that portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 23A, west of the line described herein.

     (3) It is unlawful to harvest shrimp using shellfish pot or shrimp beam trawl gear from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise.

     (4) It is unlawful to fish for shrimp in Puget Sound with shellfish pot or beam trawl gear in the Discovery Bay Shrimp District, the Port Angeles Shrimp District, the Sequim Bay Shrimp District, the Hood Canal Shrimp District, and the Carr Inlet Shrimp District.

     (5) All shrimp taken under this section must be sold to licensed Washington wholesale fish dealers. No fisher may land shrimp without immediate delivery to a licensed wholesale dealer or, if transferred at sea, without transfer to a licensed wholesale dealer.

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     (1) It is unlawful for the original receiver of shrimp, other than ghost shrimp, taken from Puget Sound by pot gear to fail to report to the department the previous week's purchases by 10:00 a.m. the following Monday.

     (2) For harvest in Crustacean Management Regions 1 or 2, reports must be made to the La Conner district office by voice (360) 466-4345 extension 245, or facsimile (360) 466-0515. For harvest in Crustacean Management Regions 3, 4, or 6, reports must be made to the Point Whitney Shellfish Laboratory by voice (360) 796-4601, extension 800, or facsimile (360) 586-8408. All reports must specify the serial numbers of the fish receiving tickets on which the previous week's shrimp were sold, and the total number of pounds caught by gear type, Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area, and species listed on each ticket.

     (4) Every person originally receiving or purchasing shrimp, other than ghost shrimp, harvested from Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 23A, shall record either 23A-E, 23A-W or 23A-S on shellfish receiving tickets based on the location of harvest and the boundary definitions specified in WAC 220-52-05100C section (1)(e)(f).

     (5) Every person originally receiving or purchasing shrimp, other than ghost shrimp, harvested from Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 26A, shall record either 26A-E or 26A-W on shellfish receiving tickets based on the location of harvest and the boundary definitions specified in WAC 220-52-05100C section (1)(g).

     (6) Every person originally receiving or purchasing shrimp, other than ghost shrimp, harvested from Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 26B, shall record either 26B-1 or 26B-2 on shellfish receiving tickets based on the location of harvest and the boundary definitions specified in WAC 220-52-05100C section (1)(h).

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     The following sections of the Washington Administrative Code are repealed effective 8:00 p.m. June 27, 2002:

WAC 220-52-05100C	Puget Sound shrimp pot and beam trawl fishery -- Seasons and weekly trip limits. (02-122)
WAC 220-69-24000C	Puget Sound shrimp dealer reporting - required information. (02-122)

© Washington State Code Reviser's Office