Wash. Admin. Code § 220-340-530 – Commercial shrimp trawl fishery—Puget Sound

License

(1) It is unlawful to take, fish for, land, or deliver shrimp taken for commercial purposes with trawl gear from Puget Sound waters without a valid Puget Sound shrimp trawl license and a shrimp trawl permit, issued annually by the director, and without complying with all provisions of a Puget Sound shrimp trawl fishery permit per RCW 77.70.420.
A Puget Sound shrimp trawl license will only be reissued to an individual who is a natural person, and this person shall be the primary operator. A Puget Sound shrimp trawl license will be converted to a Puget Sound nonspot shrimp pot fishery license upon transfer or death per RCW 77.70.420. A license owner may voluntarily convert a Puget Sound shrimp trawl license to a Puget Sound nonspot shrimp pot license. Holders of Puget Sound shrimp trawl licenses may designate a single alternate operator per license.
A Puget Sound shrimp trawl license holder may request a director's permit for the purposes of modifying or designing and using pot gear to economically harvest Pandalus eous, P. jordani, or P. dispar, as provided for in RCW 77.70.425.
Trawl gear and area restrictions
(2) 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.
It is unlawful to operate shrimp beam trawl gear in Puget Sound from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise.
(3) It is unlawful to retain spot shrimp with trawl gear.
(4) Gear restrictions - Beam trawl gear is the only lawful trawl gear type permitted for Puget Sound.
1. (a) Maximum beam width in Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 20A, 20B, 21A, and 22A is 25 feet.
2. (b) Maximum beam width in Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas 23A (trawl Catch Area 23A; WAC 220-320-140), 23B, 23C, 25A, and 29 is 60 feet.
(5) All nonspot shrimp brought onboard a vessel must be retained.
(6) Depth restrictions - It is unlawful to fish for shrimp with beam trawl gear in waters shallower than the following:
1. (a) 100 feet in Puget Sound.
2. (b) 120 feet in Catch Area 20A.
(7) Closed areas - It is unlawful to fish for shrimp with beam trawl gear year-round in the following areas:
1. (a) Catch Area 21A except those waters of the Lummi-Sinclair Triangle, as defined in WAC 220-320-140(4).
2. (b) Catch Areas 21B, 22B, and those waters of Catch Area 20A 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°).
3. (c) Subregion 1A, as defined in WAC 220-320-140 (1)(a)(i).
4. (d) Discovery Bay Shrimp District, as defined in WAC 220-320-120 (1)(b).
5. (e) Sequim Bay CSMA, as defined in WAC 220-320-120(6).
6. (f) Catch Area 23D.
(8) Area restrictions - The following areas are closed from the season opening through the dates described in the following paragraphs.
1. (a) 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°) are closed through July 31st.
2. (b) Those waters of the Lummi-Sinclair Triangle, as defined in WAC 220-320-140 (4)(c) are closed through June 30th.
3. (c) Those waters of South Lopez Sound, as defined in WAC 220-320-140 (4)(a), are closed through July 9th.
4. (d) All waters of subregion 1B, with the exception of South Lopez Sound and the Lummi-Sinclair Triangle, as defined in WAC 220-320-140(4), are closed through June 15th, except as described in (e) of this subsection.
5. (e) The following areas may open on the described dates and remain open from that date contingent upon the results of department-approved observer sampling to evaluate bycatch. Bycatch parameters must be satisfied for the fishery to remain open earlier than the date described in (d) of this subsection.
  1. (i) Those waters of the subregion 1B, except South Lopez Sound and the Lummi-Sinclair Triangle, as defined in WAC 220-320-140(4) may open as early as May 1st.
  2. (ii) Trawl fishers seeking to open before the date described in (d) of this subsection must coordinate with the department to arrange a department-approved bycatch observation plan prior to commencing fishing.
    A violation of this section is punishable under RCW 77.15.750.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, 77.12.020, 77.12.047, 77.12.320, 77.32.050, 77.32.070, 77.32.090, and 77.65.220. WSR 26-11-003 (Order 26-68), s 220-340-530, filed 5/7/26, effective 6/7/26. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.055, 77.12.045, and 77.12.047. WSR 23-22-110 (Order 2023-10), § 220-340-530, filed 10/31/23, effective 12/1/23. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.020, 77.04-055 [ 77.04.055], 77.12.045, and 77.12.047. WSR 22-08-048, § 220-340-530, filed 3/31/22, effective 5/1/22.]