§ 77.70.425 — Nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery—Limited entry fishery—License analogous to personal property—Transferability—Alternate operator.

Washington § 77.70.425

• Jurisdiction: Washington
• Title 77: FISH AND WILDLIFE
• Ch. 77.70: LICENSE LIMITATION PROGRAMS

Text

(1) The nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery is a limited entry fishery and a person may not fish for nonspot shrimp for commercial purposes with nonspot shrimp pot gear except under the provisions of a nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery license or a shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery license issued under RCW 77.65.220 .

(2) A nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery license may designate only an immediate family member, as defined in RCW 77.12.047 , or an immediate family member of a nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound licensee's spouse as the alternate operator with the following exceptions: A licensee with a bona fide medical emergency may designate a person other than an immediate family member as the alternate operator for a period not to exceed two years, provided the licensee documents the medical emergency with letters from two medical doctors describing the illness or condition that prevents the immediate family member from participating in the fishery. The two-year period may be extended by the director upon recommendation of a department-appointed Puget Sound shrimp trawl advisory board. A licensee may designate any natural person as the alternate operator by requesting the Puget Sound shrimp trawl advisory board to designate an alternate operator who is not an immediate family member, and upon recommendation of the Puget Sound shrimp trawl advisory board, the director may allow designation of an alternate operator who is not an immediate family member.

(3) A holder of a nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery license issued under RCW 77.65.220 may harvest members of the nonspot shrimp species within the waters of Puget Sound.

(4) The combined number of shrimp trawl-Puget Sound fishery licenses and nonpot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery licenses issued under RCW 77.65.220 is limited to five licenses in total.

(5) A nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery license may only be issued to a natural person who held a nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery license or a shrimp trawl-Puget Sound fishery license issued during the previous licensing year, except upon the death of the licensee the license must be treated as analogous to personal property for purposes of inheritance and intestacy.

(6) No more than one shrimp trawl-Puget Sound fishery license or nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery license may be owned by a licensee.

(7) A shrimp trawl-Puget Sound fishery license may be converted to a limited entry nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery license by any holder of a shrimp trawl-Puget Sound fishery license. A shrimp trawl-Puget Sound fishery license that is converted to a limited entry nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery license is permanently retired as a shrimp trawl license.

(8) A converted limited entry nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery license may only fish on nonspot shrimp resources previously allocated to shrimp trawl-Puget Sound fishery license holders. If all shrimp trawl-Puget Sound fishery licenses convert to nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery licenses, the department shall work with stakeholders to review the allocation of the commercial nonspot shrimp resources and develop recommendations for future allocations.

(9) Nonspot shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery license holders reserve the right to cooperatively modify and design gear with the department via a director's issued permit to efficiently and economically harvest Pandalus eous , Pandalus jordani , and Pandalus dispar . The process to modify and design gear is intended to develop the fishery to ensure a means to harvest all nonspot shrimp species for these license holders.

Legislative History

[2025 c 118 s 4.]