Commercial sea cucumber fishery

The 2020-21 Commercial Non-Treaty Sea Cucumber Fishery will begin as a Monday through Sunday fishery, on August 3, 2020. Harvest will be allowed from 6:00 a.m. PST to one-half hour before official sunset of each day. The weekly trip limit is set at 1,800 pounds/license/week. 

Harvest quotas and landings

The landings below include all reports received for the 2020-21 season and are unofficial.

Sea Cucumber Harvest Area 2020-21 State Quota Share 2020-21 State  Fishery Landings
San Juan Island - District 1 114,000 lbs 3,958
Strait of Juan de Fuca - District 2-1 64,000 lbs 286
Admiralty Inlet - District 2-2 31,278 lbs 3,446
Central Puget Sound - District 3 CLOSED CLOSED
Hood Canal - District 4 CLOSED CLOSED
South Puget Sound - District 5 15,000 lbs 2,929

Regulations

WAC 220-340-73000L  Commercial sea cucumber fishery.

Effective August 3, 2020 and until further notice, or until this rule expires on November 26, 2020 pursuant to RCW 34.05.350, the following provisions of WAC 220-340-730 regarding Puget Sound commercial sea cucumber harvest and sales shall be described below. All other provisions of WAC 220-340-730 not addressed herein, and unless otherwise amended, remain in effect:

 

  1. Sea cucumber harvest using shellfish diver gear is allowed in Sea Cucumber District 1, Monday through Sunday of each week.

 

  1. Sea cucumber harvest using shellfish diver gear is allowed in the following catch record areas of Sea Cucumber District 2, Monday through Sunday of each week: 29, 25A, 25B, 25C, 25D, 25E, 23A, 23D, and 23C east of a line projected true north from the shoreline at 123 degrees 48.3 minutes west longitude, and west of a line projected true north from the shoreline at 123 degrees 52.7 minutes west longitude.

 

  1. Sea cucumber harvest using shellfish diver gear is allowed in the following catch record areas of Sea Cucumber District 5, Monday through Sunday of each week: 28B, 28C, 28D, and 28A except for all waters of Hale Passage and Wollochet Bay within the following lines: west of a line projected true south from the shoreline near Point Fosdick at 122 degrees 35 minutes west longitude to 47 degrees 14 minutes north latitude, and thence projected true west to the shoreline of Fox Island, and east of a line projected true south from the shoreline near Green Point at 122 degrees 41 minutes west longitude to 47 degrees 16.5 minutes north latitude, and thence projected true east to the shoreline of Fox Island.

 

  1. The maximum cumulative landing of sea cucumbers for each weekly fishery opening period is 1,800 pounds per valid designated sea cucumber harvest license.

 

Sea cucumber harvest districts and reporting areas

Closed areas pertain to the commercial sea cucumber fishery. In addition, see permanent WACs 220-302 and 220-303 for more information on Marine Preserves and Conservation Area closures. Legal descriptions of commercial sea cucumber harvest districts are found in WAC 220-340-730 Sea Cucumbers. Legal descriptions of commercial sea cucumber catch reporting areas can be found in WAC 220-301-040 Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas within Puget Sound.

Permanent WACs