EMERGENCY RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.
Purpose: Amend commercial fishing rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: 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: The 2007 state/tribal shrimp harvest management plans for the Strait of Juan de Fuca and North Puget Sound require adoption of harvest seasons and the prohibition on nighttime fishing contained in this emergency rule. This emergency rule corrects the phone number to be called by Puget Sound shrimp pot and trawl fishers for harvest in Crustacean Management Region 3. 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Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 2, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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: April 3, 2007.
J. P. Koenings
Director
(1) Shrimp beam trawl gear:
a. Crustacean Management Region 3 (outside of the Discovery Bay shrimp district, Sequim Bay and Catch Area 23D) will open at 6:00 a.m. on April 16, 2007, until further notice. Sequim Bay includes those waters of Catch Area 25A south of a line projected west from Travis Spit on the Miller Peninsula.
b. That portion of Catch Area 22A within Shrimp Management Area 1B will open at 6:00 a.m. May 16, 2007, until further notice.
(2) It is unlawful to set or pull shrimp beam trawl gear from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise.
(3) All shrimp taken under this section must be sold to licensed Washington wholesale fish dealers.
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(1) Puget Sound shrimp - Pot gear: 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. 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 (Catch Area), and species listed on each ticket. Violation of this subsection is a gross misdemeanor, punishable under RCW 77.15.560.
(2) Puget Sound shrimp - Trawl gear: It is unlawful for the original receiver of shrimp other than ghost shrimp taken from Puget Sound by trawl gear to fail to report to the department the previous day's purchases by 10:00 a.m. the following morning. For harvest in Crustacean Management Region 1, 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 Region 3, 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 day'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. Violation of this subsection is a gross misdemeanor, punishable under RCW 77.15.560.
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