RCW 77.12.702
Findings-Intent-2007 c 442: "(1) The legislature finds that:
(a) Seven rockfish stocks, including canary and yelloweye rockfish, have been designated under federal law by the national marine fisheries services as overfished on the west coast.
(b) The department of fish and wildlife has classified certain rockfish species within Puget Sound as critically depressed. These common species of rockfish have undergone dramatic declines in Puget Sound and the coast during the past three decades.
(c) The Pacific fishery management council and the department of fish and wildlife have eliminated the directed commercial fisheries and greatly reduced the recreational fishing opportunity for these species.
(d) Due to the interactions of these depleted stocks with the healthier ones, commercial and recreational fisheries have been severely constrained in recent years in order to rebuild the populations of these overfished rockfish. For many of these stocks there have been no recent stock assessments, or the current assessments are based on poor data. Improved survey information is essential for assessing abundance and to monitor progress toward rebuilding efforts on the coast and in Puget Sound.
(e) Department of fish and wildlife staff have been developing underwater robot technology or remote operated vehicles to scientifically estimate the abundance of rockfish populations in both the nearshore and in deep waters. These new assessment techniques, coupled with existing bottom trawl surveys, will be used to estimate current abundance and future recovery of rockfish populations along the coast of Washington and in Puget Sound.
(2) Therefore, the legislature intends to implement a targeted surcharge on commercial licenses issued by the department of fish and wildlife that provides for the retention or landing of ground fish, and a targeted surcharge on recreational saltwater fishing licenses. Funds derived from the surcharge will be used by the department of fish and wildlife solely for the purpose of conducting rockfish research and stock assessments." [ 2007 c 442 s 1.]
Effective date-2007 c 442: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately [May 11, 2007]." [ 2007 c 442 s 6.]