Section 220-340-410 - Commercial crab licenses(1) It is unlawful to take, fish for, land, or deliver crab for commercial purposes in Washington or coastal waters unless the person has the license required by statute or department rule, or if the person is a properly designated alternative operator to a valid license. (a) For Puget Sound, a person must have a "Dungeness crab - Puget Sound" fishery license provided by RCW 77.65.130.(b) For coastal waters, such person must have a "Dungeness crab - Coastal" fishery license provided by RCW 77.65.130.(c) To use ring nets instead of or in addition to pots, a licensee must also have the "Crab ring net - Puget Sound" or "Crab ring net - non-Puget Sound" license as provided in RCW 77.65.130.(d) Qualifications for the limited entry licenses, requirements for designating vessels, and use of alternate operators are provided in and controlled by chapters 77.65 and 77.70 RCW.(2) It is unlawful to fish for or possess Dungeness crab 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. Lat.), extending 200 nautical miles westward.(3) Violation of this section is a gross misdemeanor or a class C felony under RCW 77.15.500 Commercial fishing without a license -- Penalty, depending on the circumstances of the violation.Wash. Admin. Code § 220-340-410
Decodified by WSR 17-05-112, Filed 2/15/2017, effective 3/18/2017. Recodified from § 220-52-038.Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.055, 77.12.045, and 77.12.047. 12-23-016 (Order 12-267), § 220-52-038, filed 11/9/12, effective 12/10/12.