Wash. Admin. Code § 220-340-420

Current through Register Vol. 24-21, November 1, 2024

Section 220-340-420 - Commercial crab fishery-Unlawful acts

(1)Crab size and sex restrictions. It is unlawful for any person acting for commercial purposes to take, possess, deliver, or otherwise control:

(a) Any female Dungeness crab; or

(b) Any male Dungeness crab measuring less than 6-1/4 inches, caliper measurement, at the widest part of the shell immediately in front of the points (tips).

(2) Violation of subsection (1) of this section is a gross misdemeanor or class C felony depending on the value of fish or shellfish taken, possessed, or delivered, punishable under RCW 77.15.550 (1)(c).

(3)Incidental catch may not be retained. It is unlawful to retain salmon, food fish, or any shellfish other than octopus that is taken incidental to any commercial crab fishing.

(4)Net fishing boats must not have crab on board. It is unlawful for any person to possess any crab on board a vessel geared or equipped with commercial net fishing gear while fishing with the net gear for commercial purposes or while commercial quantities of food fish or shellfish are on board. Violation of this subsection is a gross misdemeanor or class C felony punishable under RCW 77.15.550(1), depending on the quantity of crab taken or possessed.

(5)Area must be open to commercial crabbing. It is unlawful for any person to set, maintain, or operate any baited or unbaited shellfish pots for taking crab for commercial purposes in any area or time that is not open for commercial crabbing by rule of the department, except when acting lawfully under the authority of a valid gear recovery permit as provided in WAC 220-340-450.

(6) Violation of subsection (5) of this section is a gross misdemeanor or class C felony punishable under RCW 77.15.550, or a gross misdemeanor punishable under RCW 77.15.522 depending on the circumstances of the violation.

(7)When it is unlawful to buy or land crab from the ocean without a crab vessel inspection. It is unlawful for any fisher or wholesale fish buyer to land or purchase Dungeness crab taken from Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, the Columbia River, or Washington coastal or adjacent waters of the Pacific Ocean from any vessel that has not been issued a Washington crab vessel inspection certificate during the first 30 days following the opening of a coastal crab season.

(a) Authorized department personnel will perform inspections for Washington crab vessel inspection certificates no earlier than 12 hours prior to the opening of the coastal crab season and during the following 30-day period.

(b) A Washington crab vessel inspection certificate may be issued to vessels made available for inspection at a Washington coastal port that:

(i) Are properly licensed commercial crab fishing; and

(ii) Contain no Dungeness crab on board the vessel.

(8) Violation of subsection (7) of this section is a gross misdemeanor, punishable under RCW 77.15.550 (1)(a) Violation of commercial fishing area or time-Penalty.

(9)Barging of crab pots by undesignated vessels. It is unlawful for a vessel not designated on a Dungeness crab coastal or Puget Sound fishery license to deploy crab pot gear except under the following conditions:

(a)Coastal

(i) The vessel deploys pot gear only during the 73-hour period immediately preceding the season opening date and during the 48-hour period immediately following the season opening date;

(ii) The undesignated vessel carries no more than 250 crab pots at any one time; and

(iii) The primary or alternate operator of the crab pot gear named on the license associated with the gear is on board the undesignated vessel while the gear is being deployed.

(b)Puget Sound

(i) The vessel deploys pot gear only during the 48-hour period immediately following the initial season opening date and time;

(ii) The primary or alternate operator designated on the license associated with the barged gear is on board the nondesignated vessel ("barge" vessel) while the gear is being deployed; and

(iii) The Puget Sound commercial crab license holder who owns the gear intended for barging has provided notice to the department via email at crab.report@dfw.wa.gov at least 24 hours in advance of the fishery opening date. Notice must include the following information:

(A) Name and license number(s) of the owner of the gear being barged;

(B) Name of the designated primary operator, if different from the licensed owner;

(C) Name of the alternate operator, if used to deploy pots from a nondesignated vessel;

(D) Buoy brand number and number of pots to be deployed from a nondesignated vessel;

(E) Name and identification numbers (WN and/or Coast Guard) of the nondesignated vessel;

(F) Puget Sound Crab Management Region or set location.

(10) Violation of subsection (9) of this section is a gross misdemeanor or class C felony punishable under RCW 77.15.500 Commercial fishing without a license-Penalty, depending on the circumstances of the violation.

(11)Storing crab prior to delivery to an original receiver, Puget Sound. It is unlawful for a Puget Sound commercial crab license holder to store crab off-vessel prior to delivery to an original receiver, except under the following conditions:

(a) It is unlawful to store crab, off-vessel or on-vessel, for more than 10 days without making a delivery to an original receiver.

(b) All crab that have been removed from a vessel and are not immediately delivered to an original receiver must be stored in containers labeled with the following:

(i) Fisher name;

(ii) WDFW-issued vessel ID number;

(iii) Puget Sound commercial crab license number;

(iv) Date of harvest;

(v) The quantity of pounds of crab retained by Crab Management Region or by Marine Fish-Shellfish (MFSF) Catch Reporting Area;

(vi) Containers used for storing crab removed from a vessel and not delivered to an original receiver by 5:00 p.m. of the day following the day of harvest must additionally be labeled with the commercial fish and shellfish transportation ticket number(s).

(c) Storage of crab is subject to the reporting requirements described in WAC 220-352-340.

(12)Electronic monitoring system (EM system) is defined as a vessel monitoring system that automatically determines a vessel's position, records individual pot retrieval via a hydraulic pressure reading, and transmits this information to an EM system service provider. The service provider receives the transmission and provides automated data access to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) in a format consistent with PSMFC specifications where it is available to WDFW for management and enforcement.

(a) The department has published a compliance guide for the EM system which provides additional information and instructions to follow in complying with this regulation and is incorporated by reference herein. The guide can be obtained by contacting the EM program manager: 48 Devonshire Road, Montesano, WA 98563; phone: 360-249-4628; email: coastal.crab.EM@dfw.wa.gov or wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/commercial/crab/coastal.

(b) It is unlawful for the operator of a vessel designated to a coastal Dungeness crab license that is used to commercial fish for coastal Dungeness crab as defined by WAC 220-340-400 to fail to:

(i) Obtain an EM system that is capable of recording and transmitting vessel location and hydraulic pressure readings and have it installed on board the vessel designated to the coastal Dungeness crab license. The operating requirements for the EM system are as follows:

(A) The EM system must accurately record the vessel's position at least once every minute.

(B) The EM system must transmit the vessel location data to the service provider at least once every hour.

(C) A hydraulic pressure sensor must be installed on the main high pressure supply line between the hydraulic pump and the crab block of a vessel that controls it such that recorded pressure readings show pressure increases during pot hauling activity.

(D) The hydraulic pressure sensor must accurately record a pressure reading at least once every 10 seconds.

(E) The EM system must transmit hydraulic pressure sensor readings at least once every hour.

(F) If the EM system can determine when a vessel is moored, the EM system may automatically decrease the position and hydraulic pressure recording rate to at least once every hour.

(G) The EM system must be able to store vessel position and hydraulic pressure data in the event of service coverage interruption. Once service is restored, the system must transmit stored data to the service provider.

(H) The EM system must include a feedback mechanism to indicate to the vessel operator that the system is operational.

(ii) Arrange for an EM system service provider to receive and relay transmissions to Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) in a format consistent with PSMFC specifications.

(A) The following data fields must be provided to the PSMFC whenever a new system is installed, or new data transmissions begin: Vessel coast guard number, WDFW vessel registration number, state of registration, serial number or unique identifier linked to the EM system, EM service provider name, name of the make and model of the EM system, date the system was installed or started transmitting data, date the system was removed or stopped transmitting data.

(B) The following data fields must be recorded by the EM system and relayed to the PSMFC every hour: Serial number or unique identifier linked to the EM system, date, time, latitude, longitude, pressure reading from sensor, speed, vessel name.

(iii) Activate the EM system and submit an EM system activation report to WDFW before the vessel is used to fish in the coastal commercial Dungeness fishery. Commercial crab fishing is defined in WAC 220-340-400. An activation report must be submitted to WDFW under the following circumstances:

(A) Annually before gear is deployed at the start of each coastal commercial Dungeness crab season.

(B) When an EM system is reactivated following a reinstallation.

(C) When there is a change in service provider.

(D) When any changes are made to the information required in the EM activation report.

(iv) Operate and maintain the EM system in good working order continuously, 24 hours a day when a vessel is fishing for coastal commercial crab, as defined in WAC 220-340-400, in the Washington coastal commercial Dungeness crab fishery unless the vessel is operating under an exemption provided under (b)(v)(A), (B), (C), or (b)(vi)(A) or (B) of this subsection.

(v) Request and secure an EM exemption permit when there is an interruption in the EM system function and comply with the requirements of this subsection and the terms of the EM exemption permit. Vessels required to operate and maintain an EM system under (b) of this subsection may be temporarily exempt from this requirement if a valid WDFW EM exemption permit is received from WDFW. An exemption is only authorized for the period specified on the permit. The exemption permits are as follows:

(A) EM system failure exemption permit. Vessels required to operate and maintain an EM system under (b) of this subsection may be temporarily exempt from EM system requirements in situations due to an EM system failure, or hydraulic pressure sensor failure by obtaining an EM system failure exemption permit. In the event a system failure exemption permit is granted by WDFW, the operator of the vessel must submit a harvest logbook per WAC 220-340-460 and use electronic navigational equipment (including, but not limited to, chart plotters, hand-held global positioning systems, etc.) to record a track line of the vessel's movements while commercial crab fishing, and track line information must be made available to WDFW officers or authorized employees immediately upon request and retained for 30 days. Requests for multiple exemption permits for a single vessel within a season will be reviewed and approved at the discretion of WDFW.

(B) Haul out exemption permit. Vessels required to operate and maintain an EM system under (b) of this subsection may be temporarily exempted from EM requirements when it is anticipated that a vessel's EM system will be inoperable due to removing the vessel from the water for less than 14 days and coastal commercial Dungeness crab gear will remain lawfully deployed by obtaining a "Haul Out Exemption Permit" from WDFW.

(C) Emergency exemption permit: Vessels required to operate and maintain an EM system under (b) of this subsection may be exempt from EM requirements in emergency situations rendering the vessel's EM system inoperable for less than 14 days including, but not limited to, fire, flooding, or extensive physical damage to critical areas of the vessel by obtaining an emergency exemption permit from WDFW.

(D) To request an exemption permit described in (b)(v) of this subsection, a vessel owner must contact WDFW. For an exemption permit to be valid, a request must be received by WDFW as soon as it is apparent that there is a system failure or emergency or at least 2 hours before a haul out exemption is needed.

(vi) Submit a long-term departure exemption report. A vessel that is required to operate and maintain an EM system under (b) of this subsection may be exempt from this requirement if a long-term departure exemption report is submitted to WDFW in compliance with all the conditions described in (b)(vi)(A), (B), or (C) of this subsection. The basis for a long-term departure exemption report are as follows:

(A) Suspension of fishing operations. Vessels required to operate and maintain an EM system under (b) of this subsection may be exempted from EM system requirements when the vessel has concluded fishing for coastal commercial Dungeness crab for the current season or has suspended fishing operations such that all commercial gear is removed from waters open to the coastal Dungeness crab fishery.

(B) Emergency. Vessels required to operate and maintain an EM system under (b) of this subsection may be exempted from EM system requirements in emergency situations rendering the vessel's EM system inoperable for more than 14 days including, but not limited to, fire, flooding, or extensive physical damage to critical areas of the vessel, and the vessel will not resume fishing for coastal commercial Dungeness crab for the remainder of the current season.

(C) Long-term departure reports must be received by WDFW no later than 24 hours after a vessel has concluded fishing for the season.

(vii) Contact WDFW immediately if transmission of position and pressure sensor readings have been interrupted and no more than 24 hours after being notified by WDFW that position and pressure sensor readings are not being received, by notifying the EM program manager, phone: 360-249-4628, or email coastal.crab.EM@dfw.wa.gov.

(viii) Make the EM system available for inspection by WDFW enforcement personnel, USCG personnel, or any authorized employee upon request.

(ix) Ensure that the EM system or signal is not interfered with, tampered with, disabled, or destroyed and is operated and maintained according to the EM system provider instructions.

(x) Pay all charges levied by the service provider as necessary to ensure continuous operation of the EM system.

(13) Violation of subsection (12) of this section is a gross misdemeanor punishable under RCW 77.15.520 Commercial fishing-Unlawful gear or methods-Penalty.

Wash. Admin. Code § 220-340-420

Decodified by WSR 17-05-112, Filed 2/15/2017, effective 3/18/2017. Recodified from § 220-52-040.

Amended by WSR 17-22-100, Filed 10/30/2017, effective 1/1/2018

Amended by WSR 21-24-031, Filed 11/22/2021, effective 1/1/2022

Amended by WSR 22-08-048, Filed 3/31/2022, effective 5/1/2022

Amended by WSR 23-22-110, Filed 10/31/2023, effective 12/1/2023, to 1/1/2024