Commercial sea urchin fishery

The commercial non-treaty fishery for green sea urchin opened Monday, September 30th with a weekly trip limit of 1,000 pounds per license.

The fishery for red sea urchin opens Monday, October 28th with a weekly trip limit of 1,500 pounds per license. Each fishery week begins Monday and ends Sunday.

Harvest quotas and landings

Non-Treaty sea urchin quota shares and preliminary landings for the 2019-2020 season:

Green urchins

Sea Urchin Harvest Area 2019-2020 State Share (pounds) Preliminary  Landings (pounds)
District 1 (San Juan Island Area) 175,000 2,500
District 2 (Admiralty Area) 40,000 4,2509,000
District 3 & 4 (Strait Area, excluding Neah Bay) 50,000 500
District 5 (Neah Bay Area) CLOSED CLOSED
Districts 6 & 7 (South/Central Puget Sound Area) 25,000 0

Red urchins

Sea Urchin Harvest Area 2019-2020 State Share (pounds) Preliminary Landings (Pounds)
District 1 (San Juan Island Area) 173,912 (CLOSED)
District 2 (Admiralty Area) 13,000 (CLOSED)
District 3 (Port Angeles Area) 60,000 (CLOSED)
District 4 (Sekiu Area) 28,750 (CLOSED)
District 5 (Neah Bay Area) CLOSED CLOSED

Regulations

Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-340-750:

  1. Effective immediately, until further notice, it is unlawful for any person to fish for, take, or possess for commercial purposes any green sea urchins less than 2.25 inches; or red sea urchins measuring less than 3.25 inches or greater than 5 inches. All measurements are caliper measurements of the largest shell (test) diameter, exclusive of the spines.
  2. Effective September 30, 2019, until further notice, the following areas are open for green sea urchin harvest only, seven days-per-week: Sea Urchin District 1, District 2, District 3 east of a line projected true north from the shoreline at 123 degrees 48.3 minutes west longitude, District 4 west of a line projected true north from the shoreline at 123 degrees 52.7 minutes west longitude, District 6, and District 7 except 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.
  3. Effective September 30, 2019, until further notice, the maximum cumulative landings for green sea urchins for each weekly fishery opening period is 1,000 pounds per valid designated sea urchin harvest license. Each fishery week begins Monday and ends Sunday.
  4. Effective October 28, 2019, until further notice, the following areas are open for red sea urchin harvest seven days-per-week: Sea Urchin District 1, District 2, and District 3 east of a line projected true north from the shoreline at 123 degrees 48.3 minutes west longitude, and District 4 west of a line projected true north from the shoreline at 123 degrees 52.7 minutes west longitude.
  5. Effective October 28, 2019, until further notice, the maximum cumulative landings for red sea urchins for each weekly fishery opening period is 1,500 pounds per valid designated sea urchin harvest license. Each fishery week begins Monday and ends Sunday.

 

Sea urchin harvest districts
WDFW

Closed areas pertain to the commercial sea urchin 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 urchin harvest districts are found in WAC 220-340-750: Sea Urchins. Legal descriptions of commercial sea urchin catch reporting areas can be found in WAC 220-301-040: Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas within Puget Sound.

Permanent WACs