Title 77 — Title 77 FISH AND WILDLIFE

(1) A wholesale fish buyer endorsement is required for a licensed fish dealer:(a) To take first possession or ownership of fish or shellfish directly from a commercial fisher that is landed into the state of Washington;(b) To take first possession or ownership of raw or frozen fi…

(1) Crewmembers on a boat designated on a salmon charter license may sell salmon roe subject to rules of the department as long as:(a) The salmon is taken by an angler fishing on the charter boat and recorded on the angler's catch record card;(b) The roe is the property of the an…

(1) A person shall not offer or perform the services of a food fish guide without a food fish guide license in the taking of food fish for personal use, except that a charter boat license is required to operate a vessel from which a person may for a fee fish for food fish in stat…

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, as used in this chapter "ocean pink shrimp" means the species Pandalus jordani.[ 1993 c 376 s 2. Formerly RCW 75.28.720.]Notes:Findings—1993 c 376: "The legislature finds that the offshore Washington, Oregon, and California commercia…

An ocean pink shrimp delivery license is required for a commercial fishing vessel to deliver ocean pink shrimp taken for commercial purposes in offshore waters and delivered to a port in the state. As used in this section, "deliver" and "delivery" mean arrival at a place or port,…

(1) The director may by rule designate a fishery as an emerging commercial fishery. The director shall include in the designation whether the fishery is one that requires a vessel.(2) "Emerging commercial fishery" means the commercial taking of a newly classified species of food …

(1)(a) Every diver engaged in the commercial harvest of subtidal geoduck clams shall obtain a geoduck diver license. An individual may only own one license and all geoduck harvesting performed under the license must be done personally by the actual license holder.(b) The licensin…

By July 1, 1994, the commission jointly with the appropriate Indian tribes, shall each establish a wild salmonid policy. The policy shall ensure that department actions and programs are consistent with the goals of rebuilding wild stock populations to levels that permit commercia…

The director shall evaluate and recommend, in consultation with the Indian tribes, salmon fishery management strategies and gear types, as well as a schedule for implementation, that will minimize the impact of commercial and recreational fishing in the mixed stock fishery on cri…

The director shall issue the personal licenses listed in this section according to the requirements of this title. The licenses and their annual fees are:PersonalLicenseAnnual Fee(RCW 77.95.090 Surcharge)Applica-tion FeeGoverningSection ResidentNonresident (1) AlternateOperator$1…

A state trapping license allows the holder to trap fur-bearing animals throughout the state. However, a trapper may not place traps on private property without permission of the owner, lessee, or tenant where the land is improved and apparently used, or where the land is fenced o…

Persons purchasing a state trapping license for the first time shall present certification of completion of a course of instruction in safe, humane, and proper trapping techniques or pass an examination to establish that the applicant has the requisite knowledge.The director shal…

(1) A taxidermy license allows the holder to practice taxidermy for commercial purposes, as that term is defined in RCW 77.15.110. The fee for this license is one hundred eighty dollars. The application fee is seventy dollars.(2) A fur dealer's license allows the holder to purcha…

(1) A license issued by the director is required to:(a) Practice taxidermy for commercial purposes;(b) Deal in raw furs for commercial purposes;(c) Act as a fishing guide; or(d) Operate a game farm.(2) A permit issued by the director is required to:(a) Conduct, hold, or sponsor h…

Licensed taxidermists, fur dealers, fishing guides, game farmers, and persons stocking game fish or conducting a hunting, fishing, or field trial contest shall make reports as required by rules of the director.[ 2017 3rd sp.s. c 8 s 40; 2015 c 97 s 9; 1987 c 506 s 84; 1983 c 284 …

(1) The limited fish seller endorsement permits a license holder or alternate operator to clean, dress, and sell his or her commercially harvested catch directly to consumers at retail. The limited fish seller endorsement may be issued as an optional addition to all holders of a …

(1) A Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery license is required to:(a) Use spot shrimp pot gear to fish for spot shrimp;(b) Possess spot shrimp; and(c) Deliver spot shrimp.(2) Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery licenses require vessel designation under RCW 77.65.100.…

The department must revoke a geoduck diver license issued under RCW 77.65.410, and the licensee must surrender the license, if the licensee is found in violation of a department of natural resources' geoduck harvest agreement two or more times. The person surrendering the geoduck…

(1) Any application for a food fish guide license or game fish guide license under RCW 77.65.480 must include:(a) The applicant's driver's license or other government-issued identification card number and the jurisdiction of issuance;(b) The applicant's unified business identifie…

(1) In addition to other license suspension provisions provided in this title, the department may suspend a charter boat license, food fish guide license, or game fish guide license if, within a twelve-month period, a person is convicted of two or more violations of any rule of t…

(1) The department must issue a department vessel registration number decal and an identifying decal to all food fish guides, game fish guides, and charter boat operators licensed under RCW 77.65.010.(2) Any person who acts or offers to act as a food fish guide, game fish guide, …

(1) A fish guide combination license allows the holder to offer or perform the services of a food fish guide and game fish guide.(2) The commission must adopt rules to create and sell a fish guide combination license. The cost of the fish guide combination license or licenses mus…

(1) Upon termination of the employment relationship by an employee or by an employing person, firm, or business, the employee shall return to the person, firm, or business who purchased the license on the employee's behalf any license described in subsection (2) of this section t…

(1)(a) An individual age sixteen and older who works on board any vessel while operating in a commercial fishery regulated by the state must obtain a crewmember license from the department. However, an individual on the vessel designated as the primary or alternate operator on th…

(1) A commercial whale watching business license is required for commercial whale watching businesses. The annual fee for a commercial whale watching business license is $200 in addition to the annual application fee of $70.(2) The annual application for a commercial whale watchi…

(1) The department must adopt rules for holders of a commercial whale watching license established in RCW 77.65.615 for the viewing of southern resident orca whales for the inland waters of Washington by January 1, 2021. The rules must be designed to reduce the daily and cumulati…

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter and related rules adopted by the department unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Deliver" or "delivery" means arrival at a place or port, and includes arrivals from offshore waters to waters within the st…

(1) A license renewed under the provisions of this chapter that has been suspended under RCW 77.65.080 shall be subject to the following provisions:(a) A license renewal fee shall be paid as a condition of maintaining a current license; and(b) The department shall waive any other…

(1) The director shall waive license requirements, including landing or poundage requirements, if, during the calendar year that a license issued pursuant to chapter 77.65 RCW is valid, no harvest opportunity occurs in the fishery corresponding to the license.(2) For each license…

A person aggrieved by a decision of the department under this chapter may request administrative review under the informal procedure established by this section.In an informal hearing before a review board, the rules of evidence do not apply. A record of the proceeding shall be k…

(1) After May 28, 1977, the director shall issue no new salmon charter licenses. A person may renew an existing salmon charter license only if the person held the license sought to be renewed during the previous year or acquired the license by transfer from someone who held it du…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, a person shall not operate a vessel as a charter boat from which salmon are taken in salt water without an angler permit. The angler permit shall specify the maximum number of persons that may fish from the charter boat pe…

A salmon charter boat may not carry more anglers than the number specified in the angler permit issued under RCW 77.70.060. Members of the crew may fish from the boat only to the extent that the number of anglers specified in the angler permit exceeds the number of noncrew passen…

(1) The total number of anglers authorized by the director shall not exceed the total number authorized for 1980.(2) Angler permits issued under RCW 77.70.060 are transferable. All or a portion of the permit may be transferred to another salmon charter license holder.(3) The angl…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, after May 6, 1974, the director shall issue no new commercial salmon fishery licenses or salmon delivery licenses. A person may renew an existing license only if the person held the license sought to be renewed during the …

Any commercial salmon fishery license issued under RCW 77.65.160 or salmon delivery license issued under RCW 77.65.170 shall revert to the department when any government confiscates and sells the vessel designated on the license. Upon application of the person named on the licens…

(1) A person shall not commercially take Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) in Puget Sound without first obtaining a Dungeness crab—Puget Sound fishery license. As used in this section, "Puget Sound" has the meaning given in RCW 77.65.160(5)(a). A Dungeness crab—Puget Sound fishery…

(1) A person shall not fish commercially for herring in state waters without a herring fishery license. As used in this section, "herring fishery license" means any of the following commercial fishery licenses issued under RCW 77.65.200: Herring dip bag net; herring drag seine; h…

(1) A person shall not commercially take whiting from areas that the department designates within the waters described in RCW 77.65.160(5)(a) without a whiting-Puget Sound fishery license.(2) A whiting-Puget Sound fishery license may be issued only to an individual who:(a) Delive…

A whiting-Puget Sound fishery license may be transferred through gift, devise, bequest, or descent to members of the license holder's immediate family which shall be limited to spouse, children, or stepchildren. The holder of a whiting-Puget Sound fishery license shall be present…

(1) A sea urchin dive fishery license is required to take sea urchins for commercial purposes. A sea urchin dive fishery license authorizes the use of only one diver in the water at any time during sea urchin harvest operations. If the same vessel has been designated on two sea u…

(1) The director may issue experimental fishery permits for commercial harvest in an emerging commercial fishery for which the director has determined there is a need to limit the number of participants. The director shall determine by rule the number and qualifications of partic…

Whenever the director promulgates a rule designating an emerging commercial fishery, the legislative standing committees of the house of representatives and senate dealing with fisheries issues shall be notified of the rule and its justification thirty days prior to the effective…

(1) Within five years after adopting rules to govern the number and qualifications of participants in an emerging commercial fishery, the director shall provide to the appropriate senate and house of representatives committees a report which outlines the status of the fishery and…

(1) A sea cucumber dive fishery license is required to take sea cucumbers for commercial purposes. A sea cucumber dive fishery license authorizes the use of only one diver in the water at any time during sea cucumber harvest operations. If the same vessel has been designated on t…

The legislature finds that the wise management of Washington state's herring resource is of paramount importance to the people of the state. The legislature finds that herring are an important part of the food chain for a number of the state's living marine resources. The legisla…

(1) A herring spawn on kelp fishery license is required to commercially take herring eggs which have been deposited on vegetation of any type.(2) A herring spawn on kelp fishery license may be issued only to a person who:(a) Holds a herring fishery license issued under RCW 77.65.…

(1) A person shall not harvest geoduck clams commercially without a geoduck fishery license. This section does not apply to the harvest of private sector cultured aquatic products as defined in RCW 15.85.020. The geoduck fishery license fee and the application fee are specified i…

A person shall not commercially deliver into any Washington state port ocean pink shrimp caught in offshore waters without an ocean pink shrimp delivery license issued under RCW 77.65.390, or an ocean pink shrimp single delivery license issued under RCW 77.70.260. An ocean pink s…

An applicant who can show historical participation under RCW 77.70.230(1) but does not satisfy the continuous participation requirement of RCW 77.70.230(2) shall be issued an ocean pink shrimp delivery license if:(1) The owner can prove that the owner was in the process on Decemb…