wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 5599 > Original Bill
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 a recommendation as to whether a separate commercial fishery license, license fee, or limited harvest program should be established for that fishery.
For any emerging commercial fishery designated under RCW 77.50.030, the report must also include:
Information on the extent of the program, including to what degree mass marking and supplementation programs have been utilized in areas where emerging commercial fisheries using selective fishing gear have been authorized;
Information on the benefit provided to commercial fishers including information on the effectiveness of emerging commercial fisheries using selective fishing gear in providing expanded fishing opportunity within mixed stocks of salmon;
Information on the effectiveness of selective fishing gear in minimizing postrelease mortality for nontarget stocks, harvesting fish so that they are not damaged by the gear, and aiding the creation of niche markets; and
Information on the department's efforts at operating hatcheries in an experimental fashion by managing wild and hatchery origin fish as a single run as an alternative to mass marking and the utilization of selective fishing gear. The department shall consult with commercial fishers, recreational fishers, federally recognized treaty tribes with a fishing right, regional fisheries enhancement groups, and other affected parties to obtain their input in preparing the report under this subsection (2).
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If the report in subsection (1) of this section recommends establishment of a separate commercial fishery license, license fee, or limited harvest program, a separate commercial fishery license, license fee, or limited harvest program must be established per the director's recommendation.
The director may permit the conversion of an existing limited entry commercial salmon fishing license to the newly designated fishery. Under RCW 77.70.090, the establishment of a separate license does not result in an increase in the number of Puget Sound commercial licenses.
Current holders of experimental licenses must be allowed to convert the current experimental license to the commercial fishery license in (a) of this subsection.