Commercial fishery licenses

AN ACT Relating to commercial fishery licenses; and amending RCW 1
77.70.180. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 77.70.180 and 2001 c 163 s 3 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
(1) Within five years after adopting rules to govern the number 6
and qualifications of participants in an emerging commercial fishery, 7
the director shall provide to the appropriate senate and house of 8
representatives committees a report which outlines the status of the 9
fishery and a recommendation as to whether a separate commercial 10
fishery license, license fee, or limited harvest program should be 11
established for that fishery. 12
(2) For any emerging commercial fishery designated under RCW 13
77.50.030, the report must also include: 14
(a) Information on the extent of the program, including to what 15
degree mass marking and supplementation programs have been utilized 16
in areas where emerging commercial fisheries using selective fishing 17
gear have been authorized; 18
(b) Information on the benefit provided to commercial fishers 19
including information on the effectiveness of emerging commercial 20
S-0862.1
SENATE BILL 5599
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senator MacEwen
p. 1 SB 5599
fisheries using selective fishing gear in providing expanded fishing 1
opportunity within mixed stocks of salmon; 2
(c) Information on the effectiveness of selective fishing gear in 3
minimizing postrelease mortality for nontarget stocks, harvesting 4
fish so that they are not damaged by the gear, and aiding the 5
creation of niche markets; and 6
(d) Information on the department's efforts at operating 7
hatcheries in an experimental fashion by managing wild and hatchery 8
origin fish as a single run as an alternative to mass marking and the 9
utilization of selective fishing gear. The department shall consult 10
with commercial fishers, recreational fishers, federally recognized 11
treaty tribes with a fishing right, regional fisheries enhancement 12
groups, and other affected parties to obtain their input in preparing 13
the report under this subsection (2). 14
(3)(a) If the report in subsection (1) of this section recommends 15
establishment of a separate commercial fishery license, license fee, 16
or limited harvest program, a separate commercial fishery license, 17
license fee, or limited harvest program must be established per the 18
director's recommendation.19
(b) The director may permit the conversion of an existing limited 20
entry commercial salmon fishing license to the newly designated 21
fishery. Under RCW 77.70.090, the establishment of a separate license 22
does not result in an increase in the number of Puget Sound 23
commercial licenses.24
(c) Current holders of experimental licenses must be allowed to 25
convert the current experimental license to the commercial fishery 26
license in (a) of this subsection.27
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p. 2 SB 5599