Last Updated: April 2, 2013

Sea Urchin Regulations

The current non-Indian commercial sea urchin emergency WAC regulation is as follows:

WAC 220-52-07300E Sea Urchins

Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-52-073, effective immediately, until further notice, it is unlawful to take or possess sea urchins taken for commercial purposes except as provided for in this section:

(1) Green sea urchins: Sea Urchin Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 are open seven days-per-week.

(2) Red sea urchins: Sea Urchin District 4 is open seven days per week. In Sea Urchin District 4, it is unlawful to harvest red sea urchins smaller than 3.25 inches or larger than 5.0 inches (size in largest test diameter exclusive of spines).

(3) It is unlawful to dive for any purpose from a commercially licensed sea urchin fishing vessel in Sea Urchin District 3 when the vessel has red sea urchins on-board.

Season Recommendations

Please be advised, the commercial non-Indian red sea urchin quota share from the San Juan Islands Area (the combined Urchin Management Districts 1 and 2) has been taken and the area is now closed to red urchin harvest for the remainder of the 2012-13 harvest management period. As was the case for the 2011-2012 urchin season, the harvest size limits for red sea urchins in Sea Urchin Management Districts 1 and 2, the combined San Juan Island area are 3.25 inch minimum to 5.0 inch maximum. This harvest size limit matches that of the Strait of Juan de Fuca harvest areas and creates a uniform statewide red urchin size limit.

Harvest Quotas and Landings

Non-Indian sea urchin quota shares and preliminary landings for the 2012-2013 season are listed in the table below:

CLICK TO ENLARGE MAP

Permanent WAC's

• Shellfish harvest logs. WAC 220-52-075
• Permanent Sea Urchin fishing regulations. WAC 220-52-073
• General provisions -- Lawful and unlawful acts -- Salmon, other food fish and shellfish. WAC 220-20-10
• General provisions -- Shellfish. WAC 220-20-025
• Unlawful sale of food fish and shellfish. WAC 220-20-012
• Sale of commercially caught shellfish. WAC 220-20-026
• Duties of commercial purchasers. WAC 220-69-240