It is unlawful to fish for hagfish for commercial purposes except as provided in this section:

1. (1) Season - Open year-round to hagfish pot gear only.
2. (2) Area - Open only in Pacific Ocean waters greater than 50 fathoms in depth.

3. (3) Gear restrictions:

   1. (a) Maximum of 100 hagfish pots per permit. Pots may be fished individually or on a common ground line.

   2. (b) Hagfish pot gear requirements:

      1. (i) Maximum entrance tunnel size of eleven square inches. Entrance tunnels may be of any shape.
      2. (ii) Each pot is required to have at least one escape exit of at least nine and one-half square inches in opening and which must be constructed of 120 thread size or smaller untreated cotton twine.

   3. (c) Buoy requirements: Hag fish pot gear must be buoyed. Marker buoys must be floating and visible on the surface of the water, equipped with a pole, flag, radar reflector and operating light, and marked with the clear identification of the permittee. If ground lines are used, ground line end marker buoys must display the number of pots on the ground line.

      It is unlawful to use gear that has one or more line marks or to use multicolor line consistent with requirements for any other state or federally managed commercial fishery operating in the U.S. West Coast Exclusive Economic Zone, or in the state waters of Washington, Oregon, or California.

[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), § 220-360-220, filed 10/31/23, effective 12/1/23. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, and 77.12.047. WSR 17-05-112 (Order 17-04), recodified as § 220-360-220, filed 2/15/17, effective 3/18/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. WSR 06-21-034 (Order 06-263), § 220-88E-030, filed 10/10/06, effective 11/10/06; WSR 05-21-067 (Order 05-245), § 220-88E-030, filed 10/14/05, effective 11/14/05.]