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WACs > Title 220 > Chapter 220-56 > Section 220-56-255











220-56-250    

220-56-262







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WAC 220-56-255









Halibut—Seasons—Daily and possession limits.









(1) It is unlawful to fish for or possess halibut taken for personal use except from the areas or in excess of the amounts provided for in this section:
(a) Catch Record Card Area 1: Open on the first Thursday in May or May 1, if May 1 is a Friday or Saturday, through the third Saturday in July, from 12:01 a.m. each Thursday through 11:59 p.m. each Saturday. The fishery will reopen on the first Friday in August through September 30, from 12:01 a.m. each Friday through 11:59 p.m. each Sunday. By-catch restriction: It is unlawful during any vessel trip to bring into port or land bottomfish, except sablefish or Pacific cod, if the vessel has brought halibut into port or landed halibut.
(b) Catch Record Card Area 2:
(i) The northern near shore fishery takes place in those waters from 47°31.70'N. lat. south to 46°58.00'N. lat. and east of a boundary line approximating the 30 fathom depth contour as defined by the following coordinates:
47°31.70'N. lat., 124°37.03'W. long.
47°25.67'N. lat., 124°34.79'W. long.
47°12.82'N. lat., 124°29.12'W. long.
46°58.00'N. lat., 124°24.24'W. long.
Open on the first Sunday in May through September 30 on days that all other waters in Area 2 are open, as specified in (b)(ii) of this subsection, and from 12:01 a.m. each Thursday through 11:59 p.m. each Sunday.
(ii) All other waters in Area 2 - Open on the first Sunday in May through the third Sunday in May from 12:01 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. each Sunday, and from 12:01 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. each Tuesday. Beginning on the third Sunday in May through September 30, the halibut fishery will be open from 12:01 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. each Sunday.
(iii) From March 15 through June 15, it is unlawful to fish for or possess bottomfish, except rockfish, seaward of line approximating the 30-fathom depth contour as defined by the coordinates below. However, a person may fish for and retain sablefish and Pacific cod from May 1 through June 15 and retain lingcod on days open during the primary halibut season as described in (b)(ii) of this subsection, seaward of a line approximating the 30-fathom depth contour as defined by the coordinates below:
47°31.70'N. lat., 124°37.03'W. long.
47°25.67'N. lat., 124°34.79'W. long.
47°12.82'N. lat., 124°29.12'W. long.
46°52.94'N. lat., 124°22.58'W. long.
46°44.18'N. lat., 124°18.00'W. long.
46°38.17'N. lat., 124°15.88'W. long.
(c) Catch Record Card Areas 3 and 4 - Open the first Thursday between May 9 and May 15 of each year through September 30, from 12:01 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. each Thursday, and from 12:01 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. each Saturday. The following area southwest of Cape Flattery is closed to halibut fishing at all times:
Those waters within an eastward-facing C-shaped closed area defined as: Beginning at 48°18'N. lat., 125°18'W. long.; thence to 48°18'N. lat., 124°59'W. long.; thence to 48°11'N. lat., 124°59'W. long.; thence to 48°11'N. lat., 125°11'W. long.; thence to 48°04'N. lat., 125°11'W. long.; thence to 48°04'N. lat., 124°59'W. long.; thence to 48°00'N. lat., 124°59'W. long.; thence to 48°00'N. lat., 125°18'W. long.; thence to the point of origin.
It is unlawful to fish for or possess bottomfish seaward of a line approximating the 20-fathom depth contour as defined by the following coordinates, from June 1 through September 30, on days and times closed to halibut fishing:
48°23.9'N. lat., 124°44.2'W. long.
48°23.6'N. lat., 124°44.9'W. long.
48°18.6'N. lat., 124°43.6'W. long.
48°18.6'N. lat., 124°48.2'W. long.
48°10.0'N. lat., 124°48.8'W. long.
48°02.4'N. lat., 124°49.3'W. long.
47°37.6'N. lat., 124°34.3'W. long.
47°31.7'N. lat., 124°32.4'W. long.
(d) Catch Record Card Area 5 - Open the Thursday before Memorial Day through September 30, except closed to fishing for halibut beginning at 12:01 a.m. each Tuesday through 11:59 p.m. each Wednesday.
(e) Catch Record Card Areas 6 through 13 - Open May 1 through September 30, except closed to fishing for halibut beginning at 12:01 a.m. each Tuesday through 11:59 p.m. each Wednesday.
(2) Daily limit is one halibut taken from state or offshore waters. This does not include Canadian waters; see WAC 220-56-156 for limits on Canadian-origin halibut.
(3) The possession limit is two daily limits of halibut in any form, except the possession limit aboard the fishing vessel is one daily limit. See WAC 220-56-156 for rules on Canadian-origin halibut possession.
(4) A violation of this section is punishable under RCW 77.15.370 or 77.15.380, depending on the violation.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.020, 77.12.045, 77.12.047, and C.F.R. Title 50, Part 660. WSR 12-08-033 (Order 12-28), § 220-56-255, filed 3/29/12, effective 4/29/12. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.020, 77.12.045, and 77.12.047. and C.F.R. Title 50, Part 300. WSR 10-17-003 (Order 10-199), § 220-56-255, filed 8/4/10, effective 9/4/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.020 and 77.12.047. WSR 09-14-010 (Order 09-107), § 220-56-255, filed 6/22/09, effective 7/23/09; WSR 07-21-068, § 220-56-255, filed 10/15/07, effective 11/15/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. WSR 06-17-057 (Order 06-199), § 220-56-255, filed 8/10/06, effective 9/10/06; WSR 05-14-035 (Order 05-130), § 220-56-255, filed 6/24/05, effective 7/25/05; WSR 03-05-057 (Order 03-24), § 220-56-255, filed 2/14/03, effective 5/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080 and 77.12.040. WSR 99-15-081 (Order 99-102), § 220-56-255, filed 7/20/99, effective 8/20/99; WSR 99-08-029 (Order 99-13), § 220-56-255, filed 3/30/99, effective 5/1/99; WSR 98-06-031, § 220-56-255, filed 2/26/98, effective 5/1/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 97-07-078 (Order 97-53), § 220-56-255, filed 3/19/97, effective 5/1/97; WSR 95-12-027 (Order 95-46), § 220-56-255, filed 5/31/95, effective 7/1/95; WSR 94-14-069, § 220-56-255, filed 7/1/94, effective 8/1/94; WSR 93-15-011, § 220-56-255, filed 7/8/93, effective 8/8/93; WSR 93-08-034 (Order 93-20), § 220-56-255, filed 3/31/93, effective 5/1/93; WSR 89-07-060 (Order 89-12), § 220-56-255, filed 3/16/89; WSR 88-10-013 (Order 88-15), § 220-56-255, filed 4/26/88; WSR 85-10-062 (Order 85-39), § 220-56-255, filed 5/1/85; WSR 80-03-064 (Order 80-12), § 220-56-255, filed 2/27/80, effective 4/1/80. Formerly WAC 220-56-071.]