Section 220-52-051. Shrimp fishery—Puget Sound.

(1) A Puget Sound shrimp pot license or a Puget Sound shrimp trawl license will only be issued to an individual who is a natural person, and this person shall be the primary operator. Holders of Puget Sound shrimp pot licenses and Puget Sound shrimp trawl licenses may designate a single alternate operator per license.

(2) It is unlawful to fish for shrimp for commercial purposes in Puget Sound using shellfish pot gear except during seasons opened by emergency rule:

(a) Gear restrictions -

(i) In all areas, maximum 100 pots per fisher except for dual licensees as provided for in RCW 77.70.410.

(ii) In all areas:

(A) Buoys must be orange in color and consist of durable material that will remain floating on the surface with five pounds attached; bleach or antifreeze bottles or other containers may not be used as floats.

(B) The line attaching the pot to the buoy must be weighted sufficiently to prevent the line from floating on the surface.

(C) The maximum perimeter of shrimp pots must not exceed ten feet and the maximum height must not exceed two feet.

(D) It is unlawful to set or pull shrimp pot gear from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise.

(b) Spot shrimp size restriction: It is unlawful to retain spot shrimp taken by shellfish pot gear that have a carapace length less than 1 and 3/16 inches. Carapace length is defined as the length between the posterior mid-dorsal margin to the posterior-most part of the eye-stalk orbit.

(c) Area restrictions:

(i) Pot gear closed in all Puget Sound Shrimp Districts except the Port Townsend Shrimp District.

(ii) Pot gear closed in Lopez Sound south of a line projected true east-west from the northern tip of Trump Island from the season opening through July 9th.

(3) It is unlawful to fish for shrimp for commercial purposes in Puget Sound using trawl gear except during seasons opened by emergency rule and authorized by a permit issued by the director.

(a) Gear restrictions - Beam trawl gear only. Otter trawl gear may not be used.

(i) Maximum beam width in Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 20A, 20B, 21A, and 22A is 25 feet.

(ii) Maximum beam width in Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 23A, 23B, 23C, 25A, 25B, and 29 is 60 feet.

(b) It is unlawful to retain spot shrimp.

(c) Area restrictions:

(i) Shrimp trawl fishing closed in all Puget Sound Shrimp Districts.

(ii) Shrimp trawl fishing closed in Lopez Sound south of a line projected true east-west from the northern tip of Trump Island from the season opening through July 9th.

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

(e) It is lawful to fish for shrimp in Puget Sound with beam trawl gear in Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 21A only in those waters north and west of a line from the southern tip of Sinclair Island to Carter Point on Lummi Island.

(f) The following restrictions apply to shrimp beam 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.

(g) It is unlawful to operate shrimp beam trawl gear in Puget Sound from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise.

(h) It is unlawful to fish for, retain, land or deliver shrimp taken with trawl gear without a valid Puget Sound shrimp trawl fishery permit.

(i) It is unlawful to take, retain, land, or deliver any shrimp taken with trawl gear without complying with all provisions of a Puget Sound shrimp trawl fishery permit.

(j) A violation of this subsection is punishable under RCW 77.15.750.

(4) All shrimp taken in the Puget Sound commercial shrimp fishery must be landed and recorded on Washington state fish receiving tickets within 24 hours of harvest. 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. A fisher who is a licensed wholesale dealer may complete and return a fish receiving ticket to satisfy the requirements of this subsection.

(5) For purposes of shrimp pot harvest allocation, fishing season, and catch reporting, the Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas (catch areas) are modified as follows:

(a) That portion of Catch 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 Catch Area 23A.

(b) Catch Area 23A is divided into four subareas:

(i) 23A-E (east) is those waters of Catch Area 23A east of 122°57'W. Long. and north of 48°22.5'N. Lat.

(ii) 23A-W (west) is those waters of Catch Area 23A west of 122°57'W. Long. and north of 48°22.5'N. Lat.

(iii) 23A-C (central) is those waters of Catch Area 23 south of 48°22.5'N. Lat. and east of a line projected 335° true from the Dungeness lighthouse.

(iv) 23A-S (south) is those waters of Catch Area 23A west of a line projected 335° true from the Dungeness lighthouse.

(c) Catch Area 26A is divided into two subareas:

(i) 26A-E (east) is 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.

(ii) 26A-W (west) is 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.

(d) Catch Area 26B is divided into two subareas:

(i) 26B-1 is those waters of Catch Area 26B westerly of a line projected from West Point to Alki Point.

(ii) 26B-2 is those waters easterly of a line projected from West Point to Alki Point.

(6) For purpose of shrimp trawl harvest allocation and catch reporting, 23A East is that portion of Catch Area 23A, east of a line projected true north from the Dungeness lighthouse. 23A West is that portion of Catch Area 23A, west of the line described herein.

(7) The following areas are defined as Puget Sound Shrimp Management Areas:

(a) Shrimp Management Area 1A: Waters of Catch Area 20B west of a line from Point Doughty on Orcas Island to the bell buoy at the international boundary, and all waters of Catch Area 22A west of a line projected true north and south from the western tip of Crane Island, west of a line projected from the number 2 buoy at the entrance to Fisherman Bay to the southern tip of Shaw Island.

(b) Shrimp Management Area 1B: Waters of Catch Area 20B east of a line from Point Doughty on Orcas Island to the bell buoy at the international boundary, and waters of Catch Area 22A east of a line projected true north and south from the western tip of Crane Island, east of a line projected from the number 2 buoy at the entrance to Fisherman Bay to the southern tip of Shaw Island, and east of a line projected true south from Point Colville, and all waters of Catch Area 21A north and west of a line from the southern tip of Sinclair Island to Carter Point on Lummi Island.

(c) Shrimp Management Area 1C: Waters of Catch Areas 20A, 21B, 22B, and waters of Catch Area 21A not included in Management Area 1B.

(d) Shrimp Management Area 2E: Waters of Catch Areas 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D, and 26A-E (east).

(e) Shrimp Management Area 2W: Waters of Catch Areas 25B, 25C, 25D, and 26A-W (west).

(f) Shrimp Management Area 3: Waters of Catch Areas 23A, 23B, 23C, 23D, 25A, 25E, and 29.

(g) Shrimp Management Area 4: Waters of Catch Areas 26B and 26C.

(h) Shrimp Management Area 5: Waters of Catch Areas 27A, 27B, and 27C.

(i) Shrimp Management Area 6: Waters of Catch Areas 26D, 28A, 28B, 28C, and 28D.

(8) In Shrimp Management Areas 1A, 1B and 1C, all catch must be reported by Management Area and Catch Area combined, either 1A-20B, 1A-22A, 1B-20B, 1B-21A, 1B-22A, 1C-20A, 1C-21A, 1C-21B, or 1C-22B.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.020, 77.12.045, 77.12.047 and 50 C.F.R., Parts 223 and 224. WSR 11-07-106 (Order 11-43), § 220-52-051, filed 3/23/11, effective 4/23/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. WSR 06-01-013 (Order 05-275), § 220-52-051, filed 12/9/05, effective 1/9/06; WSR 03-05-064 (Order 03-28), § 220-52-051, filed 2/18/03, effective 3/21/03; WSR 02-01-068, § 220-52-051, filed 12/14/01, effective 1/14/02; WSR 01-03-016 (Order 00-271), § 220-52-051, filed 1/5/01, effective 2/5/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.080 and 1999 c 239. WSR 00-01-124 (Order 99-217), § 220-52-051, filed 12/17/99, effective 1/17/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.28.740 and 75.30.220. WSR 94-07-092 (Order 94-14), § 220-52-051, filed 3/17/94, effective 4/17/94. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 93-15-051, § 220-52-051, filed 7/14/93, effective 8/14/93; WSR 91-18-030 (Order 91-73), § 220-52-051, filed 8/28/91, effective 9/28/91; WSR 87-23-006 (Order 87-187), § 220-52-051, filed 11/6/87.]

RCW 77.04.020, 77.12.045, 77.12.047 and 50 C.F.R., Parts 223 and 224. WSR 11-07-106 (Order 11-43), § 220-52-051, filed 3/23/11, effective 4/23/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. WSR 06-01-013 (Order 05-275), § 220-52-051, filed 12/9/05, effective 1/9/06; WSR 03-05-064 (Order 03-28), § 220-52-051, filed 2/18/03, effective 3/21/03; WSR 02-01-068, § 220-52-051, filed 12/14/01, effective 1/14/02; WSR 01-03-016 (Order 00-271), § 220-52-051, filed 1/5/01, effective 2/5/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.080 and 1999 c 239. WSR 00-01-124 (Order 99-217), § 220-52-051, filed 12/17/99, effective 1/17/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.28.740 and 75.30.220. WSR 94-07-092 (Order 94-14), § 220-52-051, filed 3/17/94, effective 4/17/94. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 93-15-051, § 220-52-051, filed 7/14/93, effective 8/14/93; WSR 91-18-030 (Order 91-73), § 220-52-051, filed 8/28/91, effective 9/28/91; WSR 87-23-006 (Order 87-187), § 220-52-051, filed 11/6/87.