The Puget Sound spot shrimp pot fishery is a limited-entry commercial fishery for spot shrimp, Pandalus platyceros (also known as spot prawns). There are a total of 18 commercial Puget Sound shrimp licenses. Per Commission policy, the commercial spot shrimp fishery is allocated 30 percent of the total state share of the quota, and 70 percent is allocated to the state recreational fisheries. The interior of Puget Sound, South Sound, Discovery Bay, and Hood Canal are managed for the exclusive benefit of the recreational fishery with some limited commercial clean-up opportunities permitted. The majority of state commercial harvest occurs in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands.
Current Season
The commercial spot shrimp season is structured as follows:
- Harvesters may use up to 100 spot shrimp pots and have a separate pot limit for non-spot pots and spot shrimp pots.
- The first spot shrimp catch accounting period starts one hour before official sunrise on May 1, 2024, through one hour after official sunset on July 30, 2024.
- Licensed harvesters are permitted to harvest up to 4,800 pounds of spot shrimp per license from all Puget Sound shrimp management regions combined during the first spot shrimp catch accounting period.
- The second spot shrimp catch accounting period starts one hour before the official sunrise on July 31, 2024, through one hour after the official sunset on August 20, 2024.
- Licensed harvesters are permitted to harvest up to 4,800 pounds, plus an additional per license allotment that will be determined following the recreational shrimp seasons.
- The Puget Sound Prawn Season Association has requested the Department to track per-license landing limits for the following areas through July 15, 2024:
- 300 lbs per license from 23A-E.
- 400 lbs per license from 25A, Outside of Protection Island.
- 500 lbs per license from 1A.
- After July 15, 2024, industry-requested per-license landing limits will be lifted.
Please refer to the pre-season commercial pot fishery letter for more details.
Maps
For a printable PDF version of the Puget Sound commercial shrimp pot areas, click here: Commercial Shrimp Map
Region 1
Regions 2 East and 2 West
Region 3
Regions 4, 5, and 6
Marine Preserves and Conservation Areas
Fishery Profile
The Puget Sound spot shrimp pot fishery is a limited-entry commercial fishery for spot shrimp Pandalus platyceros (aka. spot prawns). There are 18 total commercial Puget Sound shrimp pot licenses, of which all 18 are used annually to harvest spot shrimp. Puget Sound commercial shrimp pot license-holders are permitted to harvest both spot shrimp and non-spot shrimp. The harvest is destined for human consumption markets such as local seafood restaurants and farmers' markets.
Season structure
The commercial spot shrimp pot fishery historically started in late June, due to industry request, and ran through Sept. 15. Before 2020 the spot shrimp pot fishery was limited by a bi-weekly harvest limit. In 2020 the fishery transitioned to opening around April 15 until Sept. 15. There are provisions in co-management agreements to allow for early openings and extended seasons depending on ovigery tests. Harvest is metered by setting per-license harvest limits that are evenly distributed to each license. Fishers are given a set duration of time, which can vary from 1 to 6 weeks, to catch the specified quota limit.
Fishery management
This fishery is managed on an individual quota basis. Historically, the season has opened with biweekly limits of 1,200 pounds total per license, then after six weeks switched to weekly limits of 600 pounds total. In 2020, fishers were given six weeks to catch individual harvest quotas, which was done to accommodate changing market conditions. Fishers may harvest in any area that is open to them, but typically harvest occurs in the most popular areas first, then becomes concentrated in less desirable areas as the season progresses. If the overall harvest quota is close to being reached in any given area, the individual harvest limit may be restricted to extend the harvest season for that area, but fishers are permitted to fill out their individual quota allotment from other open areas.
Areas of operation
Commercial harvest primarily occurs in Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch Reporting Areas (MFSF Catch Areas) 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B, 23A, 23B, 23C, 23D, 25A, and 29. Commission policy allows limited commercial clean-up opportunities in all MFSF Catch Areas in Puget Sound.
License type
Limited-entry license. There are currently 18 licenses.
Depth fished
Fishing depths range from 90 to 450 feet with an average depth of 300 feet.
Soak times
Gear soak times range from 1 to 120 hours with an average soak time of 12 hours.
Gear specifications
All shrimp pots must be constructed of either flexible or rigid mesh material (no liners allowed). A minimum of 1-inch mesh size is required for all shrimp pots used to target Spot Shrimp. Mesh size of 1 inch is defined as a mesh in which a 7/8-inch square peg will pass through each opening, excluding the entrance tunnels, except for flexible (web) mesh pots where the mesh must be a minimum of 1 3/4-inch stretch measure. Entrance tunnels may be constructed of any mesh size but must be on the sides and may not exceed one-half the perimeter of the bottom of the pot. The maximum perimeter of shrimp pots must not exceed 10 feet, and the maximum height must not exceed 2 feet. All shrimp pots must be equipped with a biodegradable device (rot cord) to allow for the escapement of trapped animals should the pot become derelict. Commercial shrimp pot license holders are permitted to fish up to 100 pots, which must be marked with orange buoys constructed of a durable material that will remain floating on the surface with 5 pounds attached. The line attaching the pot to the buoy must be weighted sufficiently to prevent the line from floating on the surface. Commercial pots are typically deployed as ‘strings’ where five to 50 pots are affixed to a ground line anchored on each end with a buoy attached.
Licensing and Permit Requirements
The shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery is a limited entry fishery licensed under the shrimp pot - Puget Sound commercial license (RCW 77.65.220). The shrimp pot - Puget Sound commercial license grants the right to harvest spot shrimp and members of the non-spot shrimp species complex. There are currently 18 licenses with no new licenses issued annually. No more than two licenses may be stacked on a single vessel and both must be owned by the same person. If two licenses are stacked then the harvestable quota on the second stacked license is reduced by 50 percent. No more than two shrimp pot-Puget Sound fishery licenses may be owned by a licensee. If a licensee owns more than one license then they both must be stacked on the same vessel (RCW 77.65.220).
Logbook Instructions
Puget Sound shrimp pot fishery participants are required to obtain, as well as accurately and completely maintain the appropriate harvest log available from WDFW. If you need to obtain a new or additional logbook, please contact staff at the WDFW Port Townsend office:
Brad Speidel: 253-263-5560
Daniel Sund: 360-302-6372
For instructions in filling out your logbook, please see: Shrimp Logbook Instructions
Completed logbook pages should be mailed to the WDFW Port Townsend office within ten days following any calendar month that fishing occurred.
ATTN: Commercial Shrimp Manager
WDFW
375 Hudson St
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Rules and Regulations
WAC 220-301-040: Marine Fish-Shellfish Management and Catch Reporting Areas, Puget Sound.
WAC 220-302-100: San Juan Islands Marine Preserve Area.
WAC 220-320-060: General provisions -- Shellfish.
WAC 220-320-120: Puget Sound Crustacean Special Management Areas
WAC 220-320-140: Commercial shrimp geographical management units - Puget Sound
WAC 220-340-020: Shellfish -- Unlawful acts -- Commercial.
WAC 220-340-030: Shellfish harvest logs
WAC 220-340-040: Sale of commercially caught shellfish
WAC 220-340-060: Commercial shellfish pot gear - Escape mechanism required
WAC 220-340-520: Commercial shrimp pot fishery - Puget Sound
WAC 220-352-010: Fish receiving ticket definitions.
WAC 220-352-020: When state of Washington fish receiving tickets are required.
WAC 220-352-035: Requirement to prepare fish receiving ticket forms completely and accurately—Determining the appropriate form.
WAC 220-352-130: Completion, submission, distribution, and retention of copies of shellfish receiving ticket.
WAC 220-352-140: Signatures -- Fish receiving tickets.
WAC 220-352-160: Fish receiving ticket accountability -- Paper forms.
WAC 220-352-210: License cards.
WAC 220-352-220: Wholesale fish buyer plates.
WAC 220-352-230: Commercial fish and shellfish transportation ticket.
WAC 220-352-250: Sale under a limited fish seller endorsement.
WAC 220-352-335: Puget Sound shrimp - Additional reporting requirements