Washington Administrative Code

(1) Based upon RCW 15.85.020(3), the following shellfish are distinguished from private sector cultured aquatic products and are identified as wild stocks that are regulated under this chapter:(a) All clams, mussels, or oysters that were not propagated, farmed, or cultivated unde…

The director designates the hagfish pot fishery as an emerging commercial fishery for which use of a vessel is required. It is unlawful to fish for, possess, or deliver hagfish taken for commercial purposes unless the fisher has a valid emerging commercial fishery license and a h…

(1) An individual may not hold more than one Washington hagfish pot trial permit.(2) Hagfish pot trial fishery permits are not transferable. Only the vessel designated on the emerging commercial fishery license and hagfish pot trial fishery permit may be used to fish for or deliv…

It is unlawful to fish for hagfish for commercial purposes except as provided in this section:(1) Season - Open year-round to hagfish pot gear only.(2) Area - Open only in Pacific Ocean waters greater than 50 fathoms in depth.(3) Gear restrictions:(a) Maximum of 100 hagfish pots …

It is unlawful for a participant in the hagfish pot trial fishery to fail to maintain and submit a legible, accurate, and complete harvest log for all hagfish fishing activity. Logs will be submitted such that the department receives them no later than the tenth day following the…

(1) The director designates the coastal Pacific mackerel purse seine fishery as an emerging commercial fishery for which use of a vessel is required. It is unlawful to fish for, possess, or deliver Pacific mackerel taken for commercial purposes from Washington territorial waters …

(1) No individual may hold more than one Washington coastal Pacific mackerel purse seine trial or experimental fishery permit.(2) Coastal Pacific mackerel fishery permits are not transferable. Only the vessel designated on the emerging commercial fishery license and Pacific macke…

(1) Licensing, harvest, and reporting requirements. It is unlawful for persons fishing under a Washington trial or experimental Pacific mackerel purse seine fishery permit to fail to:(a) Carry an observer onboard for any Pacific mackerel fishing trip if requested by the departmen…

(1) A Puget Sound whiting endorsement for the current year will be issued to a natural person who meets the following qualifications:(a) Is the possessor of a valid trawl license.(b) Submits proof of landing as required by RCW 75.30.170.(c) Submits proof of ownership or lease, as…

(1) A person may transfer a Puget Sound whiting endorsement to that person's spouse or natural or step-child only. The person making the transfer is required to show proof of the relationship. Acceptable proof is a marriage certificate, birth certificate, or decree of adoption. A…

(1) The director designates an emerging commercial fishery in the Lower Columbia River. The director has determined a need to limit the number of participants in this fishery.(2) It is unlawful to fish for, possess, or deliver salmon taken for this fishery unless the fisher posse…

To qualify for an emerging commercial fishery license and experimental fishery permit, a person must:(1) Possess a commercial gillnet salmon license/permit issued by Washington (WA) or Oregon (OR) for the Columbia River; and(a) Demonstrate by valid Washington or Oregon fish recei…

(1) To maintain consistency in this fishery enabling the department to gather the best available information, a fisher selected by lottery will be able to obtain a permit for the duration of the fishery.(2) Applications for participation in the lottery are due by October 15th of …

(1) The following gear is allowable:(a) Purse seines as defined in WAC 220-350-110.(b) Beach seines as defined in WAC 220-350-040.(c) Pound nets as defined here as nets attached to fixed pilings, stakes, and/or anchors to form a lead, guiding fish into at least one heart, pot, or…

(1) Allowable possession and sales: Salmon, and as determined by the states of Oregon and Washington via the Columbia River compact process. All species other than salmon must be carefully handled and promptly returned to the water.(2) Handling of catch: Salmon catch may only be …

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to cultivate food fish, shellfish, or other aquatic animals for commercial purposes except as follows in chapter 220-370 WAC.[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, and 77.12.047. WSR 17-05-11…

The intent of this chapter is to establish rules that promote the health, productivity and well-being of aquaculture products and the wild stock fisheries. These rules will identify the conditions that will be required for transfer and importation of live aquaculture products and…

(1) Area 41A shall include all waters of Budd Inlet south of a line between Dofflemeyer Point to Cooper Point.(2) Area 41B shall include all waters of Carr Inlet north and west of a line between Gibson Point on Fox Island and Hyde Point on McNeil Island and a line crossing Pitt P…

An aquatic farm is any facility or tract of land used for private, commercial culture of aquatic products. Each geographically separate facility or tract of land used for commercial culture shall constitute a separate farm site location. In applying for aquatic farm registration …

For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:(1) "Aquaculture products" are defined as private sector cultured aquatic products propagated, farmed, or cultivated on aquatic farms under the supervision and management of an aquatic farmer, or such products naturall…

(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to cultivate aquatic products (private sector cultured aquatic products as defined under RCW 15.85.020(3)) without the aquatic farmer having first registered the aquatic farm with the department. Any aquatic farm must be registered with the…

If asked by an aquatic farmer, the department will prepare, print, and distribute an aquatic farm registration form. The following information must be provided by the aquatic farmer:(1) The name, mailing address, and telephone number of the individual or company that owns or leas…

Authorized department employees shall, at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner, have access to all finfish aquaculture facilities to conduct inspections for the prevention and suppression of aquaculture diseases, including, but not limited to, taking samples for detection …

It is the responsibility of a registered finfish aquatic farmer to maintain records of laboratory inspection reports on the live product of that finfish aquatic farmer issued for the previous twenty-four months. It is the responsibility of a finfish aquatic farmer to maintain rec…

(1) It is unlawful for any aquatic farmer to possess any species, stock or race of marine finfish, defined as finfish being raised in marine waters, in net pens, cages or other rearing vessels without having first obtained and possessing a valid marine finfish aquaculture permit …

A fish escape prevention plan is required with each application for a marine finfish aquaculture permit and approval by the department of the fish escape prevention plan is required before issuance of a marine finfish aquaculture permit.(1) The escape prevention plan must include…

(1) It is the responsibility of aquatic farmers to report an escape of marine finfish and to attempt to recapture escaped fish. Escaped marine finfish will be treated by the department the same as feral fish, and the department may augment capture and removal of such fish by sche…

Authorized department employees shall, at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner, have access to marine aquatic farming locations to conduct inspections to determine conformity with the law and the rules of the department relating to preventing escaped finfish and/or the rec…

Contingent on funding, the director shall develop and implement an Atlantic salmon watch program which will include the following elements:(1) Establish an Atlantic salmon watch coordinator position whose responsibilities include providing a focal point for consolidation of scien…

Contingent on funding, the director shall develop and implement an educational program with marine aquatic farmers which will include the following elements:(1) WDFW will notify aquatic farmers of upcoming WDFW hatchery workshops, meetings or tours with regard to hatchery disease…

(1) It is unlawful for an aquatic farmer shipping out-of-state or selling private sector cultured aquatic products to fail to:(a) Keep complete and accurate records showing the quantity of products sold and the location of the aquatic farm where products were grown; and(b) Comple…

(1) There is hereby created an aquaculture production report form to be prepared, printed and distributed on request by the department. The aquatic farmer shall provide the following information:(a) Firm name: Name of aquaculture firm and telephone number.(b) Firm address: Addres…

Outbreaks of disease affecting food fish, shellfish, and aquatic animals in fish farm facilities shall be reported immediately to the department. If such outbreaks represent a serious threat to fisheries resources of the state, the director may immediately order such actions as d…

(1) It is unlawful for any person to import into or transport within the state of Washington finfish aquaculture products without first having obtained a permit to do so issued by the department. A copy of the transport permit shall accompany the finfish aquaculture products at a…

(1) It is unlawful for any person to import into Washington or possess live imported aquatic invertebrates, except market ready shellfish, without first obtaining an aquatic invertebrate import permit issued by the department. A copy of the permit shall accompany the aquatic inve…

(1) It is unlawful to import into the state of Washington amphibian aquaculture products without having first obtained a permit to do so issued by the director.(2) It is unlawful to possess African clawed frogs for aquaculture.[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04…

(1) It is unlawful for any person to import into the state of Washington marine plant aquaculture products without having first obtained a permit to do so issued by the department. A copy of the permit shall accompany the imported marine plant aquaculture products at all times un…

(1) It is unlawful for any person to import kelp into the state of Washington for use in the herring spawn on kelp fishery without first having obtained a permit to do so issued by the department. A copy of the permit must accompany the imported kelp at all times until the kelp i…

(1) The director may take the following emergency enforcement actions when evidence indicates these actions are necessary to protect aquaculture products and native stocks from disease causing severe mortality:(a) Deny issuance of an transport permit.(b) Quarantine the aquacultur…

(1) The following is a list of the charges to be assessed for tissue samples submitted to the department for pathogen examination, miscellaneous charges, and the finfish transport permit issuance fee. All samples for stock certification must be collected by department personnel o…

Definitions used in rules of the commission are defined in RCW 77.08.010. In addition, unless otherwise provided:(1) A "valid" license, permit, tag, stamp or catch record card means a license, permit, tag, stamp, or catch record card that was issued to the bearer for the current …

(1) Game animals include:Common NameScientific Nameeastern cottontailSylvilagus floridanusNuttall's cottontailSylvilagus nuttalliisnowshoe hareLepus americanuswhite-tailed jackrabbitLepus townsendiiblack-tailed jackrabbitLepus californicusfoxVulpes vulpesblack bearUrsus americanu…

(1) Game birds include:Common NameScientific Namemigratory waterfowlAnatidaewild turkeyMeleagris gallopavoblue grouseFalcipennis obscurusspruce grouseDendragapus canadensisruffed grouseBonasa umbellus"Forest grouse" means blue, spruce, or ruffed grousesharp-tailed grouseTympanuch…

(1) Except as authorized by permit of the director or as otherwise provided by this section, it is unlawful to possess wildlife found dead. Wildlife found dead includes naturally shed antlers from deer, elk, and moose. Naturally shed antlers of deer, elk, and moose may be collect…

(1) It is unlawful to possess river otter, cougar, lynx, or bobcat taken in Washington without a department identification seal which has been attached to the raw pelt, on or off the carcass, prior to the pelt sealing deadline.(2) The raw pelt of a bobcat or river otter must be p…

(1) It is unlawful for a licensed taxidermist or furdealer upon receiving wildlife for mounting, tanning, storage or processing to fail to record the following information:(a) The taxidermist's name, address, and business phone;(b) The date the item was received;(c) The hunter/ta…

GMU 101-SHERMAN (Ferry and Okanogan counties):Beginning at the Kettle River and the US-Canadian border near the Ferry Customs Office, north of the town of Toroda; E on the US-Canadian border to the Kettle River, east of the town of Laurier; S down the Kettle River (Ferry-Stevens …

GMU 203-PASAYTEN (Okanogan and Whatcom counties):Beginning at the western junction of the Pasayten Wilderness Area-Ross Lake National Recreational Area border and the US-Canadian border; E along the US-Canadian border to the eastern junction of the Pasayten Wilderness Area bounda…

GMU 328-NANEUM (Kittitas and Chelan counties):Beginning on US Hwy (US) 97 and US Forest Service (USFS) Rd 9716 at Blewett Pass; E on USFS Rd 9716 to USFS Rd 9712 (Liberty-Beehive Rd); E on USFS Rd 9712 to the Naneum Ridge (Chelan-Kittitas county line) at the west boundary of Sect…

GMU 407-NORTH SOUND (Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish and King counties); (does not include Guemes Island):Beginning at the NW corner of Whatcom County line and the US-Canadian border; E on the US-Canadian border to a point due north of Silver Lake Rd; S to Silver Lake Rd; S on Silver …