Note: The following regulations are the opening emergency regulations
for the 2009-2010 season. In-season emergency regulations
will be posted on this site as they occur. You can also call the Commercial Crab Hotline
at the number posted to the left of this page for the latest emergency
regulations.
Puget Sound is home to two fleets of commercial vessels, Tribal and State.
The State commercial crab fleet possesses about 248 licenses. The
fishery is currently limited to this number of licenses, however current
license holders may transfer an existing license to a new party. Information
on Tribal fishing in Puget Sound is available through the Northwest
Indian Fisheries Commission.
Click on the appropriate link to the left for a summary of historic landings,
the current season's landings, permanent crab fishing regulations, descriptions
of catch areas, and descriptions of exclusion zones.
Commercial Crab Fishery Information
The State emergency commercial fishery regulations:
WAC 220-52-04000J Commercial crab fishery-Lawful and unlawful gear, methods, and other unlawful acts.
Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-040:
(1) Dungeness crab pots may be deployed between 8:00 a.m. October 1, 2009 and 7:59 a.m. October 3, 2009 in
Puget Sound waters from a vessel not designated on a person's Puget Sound crab license, provided that the primary or
alternate operator designated on the license is on board the non-designated vessel ("barge" vessel), and provided prior
notice has been given as indicated below.
(2) The license owner must leave a telephone message at the Mill Creek Regional office, (425) 775-1311 ext. 112, with the following information:
- Name and license number of license owner.
- Name of designated primary operator if different from license owner.
- Name of alternate operator if used to deploy pots from a non-designated vessel.
- Buoy brand number and number of pots to be deployed from a non-designated vessel.
- Name and identification numbers (WN and/or Coast Guard) of the non-designated vessel.
(3) Additional area gear limits. The following Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas are
restricted in the number of pots fished, operated, or used by a person or vessel, and it is unlawful for any person to use,
maintain, operate, or control pots in excess of the following limits:
- No commercial gear is allowed in that portion of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 25A west of
the 123 degrees 7.0 minutes longitude line projected from the new Dungeness light due south to the shore of Dungeness Bay.
(4) ) Effective 8:00 a.m. October 1, 2009 until further notice, it is unlawful for any person to fish for crabs for commercial purposes
with more than 50 pots per license, per buoy tag number, in Crab Management Region 1 (which includes Marine Fish Shellfish
Catch Reporting Areas 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B, 22A and 22B), and Crab Management Region 2 East (which includes Marine Fish Shellfish Catch
Reporting Areas 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D, and 26A-E).
The remaining buoy tags per license per region must be onboard the designated vessel and available for inspection in
Crab Management Areas 1 and 2E.
WAC 220-52-04600J Puget Sound Crab Fishery--Seasons and Areas.
Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-046, effective 8:00 a.m. October 1, 2009 until further notice:
(1) It is permissible to fish for Dungeness crab for commercial purposes in the following areas:
- Port Gardner: That portion of Marine Fish/Shellfish Catch Area 26A east of a line projected from the outermost tip
of the ferry dock at Mukilteo. projected to the green #3 buoy at the mouth of the Snohomish River, and west of a line projected
from that #3 buoy southward to the oil boom pier on the shoreline.
- Possession Point to Glendale: That portion of Marine Fish/Shellfish Catch Area 26A east of a line that extends true north
from the green #1 buoy at Possession Point to Possession Point, and west of a line from the green #1 buoy at Possession Point
extending northward along the 200-foot depth contour to the Glendale dock.
- Langley: That portion of Marine Fish/Shellfish Catch Area 24C shoreward of the 400-foot depth contour within an area
described by two lines projected northeasterly from Sandy Point and the entrance to the marina at Langley.
- Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 20A between a line from the boat ramp at the western boundary of
Birch Bay State Park to the western point of the entrance of the Birch Bay Marina and a line from the same boat ramp to Birch Point.
- Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 26A-W in Useless Bay north and east of a line from the south end of
the Double Bluff State Park seawall (47°58.782'N, 122°30.840'W) projected 110 degrees true to the boulder on shore (47°57.690'N, 122°26.742'W).
- Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 22B in Fidalgo Bay south of a line projected from the red
number 4 entrance buoy at Cap Sante Marina to the northern end of the eastern most oil dock.
- Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 22A in Deer Harbor north of a line projected from Steep Point to Pole Pass.
(2) The following areas are closed to commercial crab fishing:
- That portion of Marine Fish/Shellfish Catch Area 25A west of the 123 degrees 7.0 minutes longitude line projected from the new Dungeness light
due south to the shore of Dungeness Bay.
- That portion of Marine Fish/Shellfish Catch Area 23D west of a line from the eastern tip of Ediz Hook to the
ITT Rayonier Dock.
- Those waters of Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Area 24A east of a line projected due north from the most westerly tip
of Skagit Island and extending south to the most westerly tip of Hope Island, thence southeast to Seal Rocks,
thence southeast to the green can buoy at the mouth of Swinomish Channel, thence easterly to the west side of Goat Island.
(3) Effective 8:00 p.m. October 10, 2009, until 8:00 a.m. October 21, 2009, all Crab Management Regions will be closed to commercial
crab fishing.
WAC 220-69-24000R Duties of commercial purchasers and receivers.
Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-69-240, effective October 1, 2009, until further notice, it is unlawful for any wholesale dealer
acting in the capacity of an original receiver of Dungeness crab taken by non-treaty fishers from Puget Sound, to fail to report to the
department the previous day’s purchases by 10:00 a.m. the following business day. Reports must be made by fax to (425) 338-1066 or by
email at crabreport@dfw.wa.gov, and must specify the dealer name, dealer phone number, date of delivery of crab to the original receiver,
and the total number of pounds of crab caught by non-treaty fishers, by Crab Management Region or by Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and
Catch Reporting Area.
