WSR 07-24-019

EMERGENCY RULES

DEPARTMENT OF

FISH AND WILDLIFE

[ Order 07-286 -- Filed November 27, 2007, 4:42 p.m. , effective November 27, 2007, 4:42 p.m. ]


     Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.

     Purpose: Amend commercial fishing rules.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 220-52-040, 220-52-046, and 220-52-075.

     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: Mandatory pick rate allowance for coastal crab will be achieved by the opening dates contained herein. The stepped opening periods/areas will also provide for fair start provisions. Pot limits will reduce the crowding effect in this restricted area. Logbooks are necessary to collect the data required by state and tribal comanagers. California Assembly Bill 2773 (effective January 1, 2007) limits the geographic area where a CA coastal Dungeness crab license is valid to the state and federal waters adjacent to the coast of California. The Washington department of fish and wildlife agreed to adopt reciprocal regulations limiting the area that Washington coastal Dungeness crab licenses are valid to the state and federal waters adjacent to the coast of Washington. 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     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 3, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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: November 27, 2007.

Phil Anderson

for Jeff Koenings

Director


NEW SECTION
WAC 220-52-04000P   Commercial crab fishery. Lawful and unlawful gear, methods and other unlawful acts.   (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-040, effective immediately until further notice, it is unlawful for any fisher or wholesale dealer or buyer to land or purchase Dungeness crab taken from Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, Columbia River, Washington coastal or adjacent waters of the Pacific Ocean through January 31, 2008, from any vessel unless:

     (a) A valid Washington crab vessel inspection certificate has been issued to the delivering vessel. Vessel hold inspection certificates dated from November 30, 2007 to December 27, 2007 are only valid for the area south of 46°28.00.

     (b) The vessel inspection certificate numbers are recorded on all shellfish tickets completed for coastal Dungeness crab landings through January 31, 2008.

     (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-040, it is lawful for a vessel not designated on a Dungeness crab coastal fishery license to transport or deploy up to 250 pots at any one time for deployment in the coastal crab fishery. The primary operator of the vessel associated with the pots being transported must be aboard the vessel while they are being deployed. All other provisions of the permanent rule remain in effect.

     (3) Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-040, effective immediately until further notice, it is unlawful for person participating in the Columbia River, Coastal or Willapa Bay commercial Dungeness crab fishery to:

     (a) deploy or operate more than 400 shellfish pots if the permanent number of shellfish pots assigned to the Coastal commercial crab fishery license held by that person is 500.

     (b) deploy or operate more that 250 shellfish pots if the permanent number of shellfish pots assigned to the Coastal Dungeness crab fishery license held by that person is 300.

     (c) fail to maintain onboard any participating vessel the excess crab pot buoy tags assigned to the Coastal Dungeness crab fishery license being fished.

     (4) Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-040, effective immediately until further notice, it is unlawful to possess or deliver Dungeness crab unless the following conditions are met:

     (a) Vessels that participated in the coastal Dungeness crab fishery from Klipsan Beach (46°28.00 North Latitude) to Point Arena, CA, including Willapa Bay and the Columbia River, may possess crab for delivery into Washington ports south of 47°00.00 N. Lat. provided the crab were taken south of Klipsan (46°28.00 N. Lat.).

     (b) The vessel does not enter the area north of 47°00.00 N. Lat. unless the operator of the vessel has contacted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and provides a vessel hold inspection if requested by Fish and Wildlife officers prior to entering this area. Prior to entering the area north of 47°00.00 N. Lat., the vessel operator calls 360-249-4628, extension 253, and reports the vessel name, operator name, estimated amount of crab to be delivered in pounds, and the estimated date, time and location of delivery 24 hours prior to entering the area.

[]


NEW SECTION
WAC 220-52-04600M   Coastal crab seasons.   Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-046, effective immediately until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for Dungeness crab in Washington coastal waters, the Pacific Ocean, Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, or the Columbia River, except as provided for in this section.

     (1) The area from Klipsan Beach (46°28.00) to the WA/OR border (46°15.00) and Willapa Bay.

     (2) Crab gear may be set beginning at 8:00 a.m., November 28, 2007.

     (3) It is lawful to pull crab gear beginning at 12:01 a.m., December 1, 2007.

     (3) Vessels that participate in the coastal commercial Dungeness crab fishery in the waters from Point Arena, California to Klipsan Beach, Washington (46°28.00), including Willapa Bay, before the area north of Klipsan Beach (46°28.00) opens, are prohibited from:

     a. Fishing in the area between Klipsan Beach (46°28.00) and Oysterville (46°33.00) until 10 days have elapsed from the time that the area north of Klipsan Beach opens.

     b. Fishing in the area between Oysterville (46°33.00) and the U.S. Canadian border until 30 days have elapsed from the time that the area north of Klipsan Beach opens.

     (4) It is unlawful to fish for or possess Dungeness crabs or to set crab gear in waters of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to the states of Oregon or California without the licenses or permits required to commercially fish for Dungeness crab within the state waters of Oregon or California. Washington coastal Dungeness crab permits are valid only in Washington state waters, the Columbia River, Willapa Bay, Grays Harbor and the Pacific Ocean in federal waters north of the Washington/Oregon border (46°15.00 N. Latitude), extending 200 nautical miles westward.

     (5) All other provisions of the permanent rule remain in effect.

[]

     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 220-52-07500G   Shellfish harvest logs reporting requirements for the coastal Dungeness crab fishery.   Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-075, effective immediately it is unlawful for any vessel operator engaged in fishing Dungeness crab in the coastal commercial fishery to fail to complete a department-issued logbook for all fishing activity occurring in Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean waters adjacent to the state of Washington. It is unlawful for any vessel operator engaged in fishing to fail to comply with the following method and time frame related to harvest logbook submittal and record keeping:

     (a) The department must receive a copy of the completed logbook sheets within ten days following any calendar month in which fishing occurred. Completed Dungeness crab harvest logs must be sent to the following address: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 48 Devonshire Rd., Montesano, WA. ATTN. COASTAL DUNGENESS CRAB MANAGER.

     (b) Vessel operators engaged in fishing Dungeness crab in the coastal commercial fishery must complete a logbook entry for each day fished prior to offloading. Vessel operators responsible for submitting logs to the department must maintain a copy of all submitted logs for up to three years after the fishing activity ended.

     (c) Vessel operators can obtain logbooks by contacting the WDFW coastal Dungeness crab manager at 360-249-4628.

[]

© Washington State Code Reviser's Office