The Puget Sound non-spot shrimp beam trawl fishery is a limited-entry commercial fishery which occurs in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands. There are five total Puget Sound non-spot shrimp beam trawl licenses. In addition to being limited entry, license holders must also obtain an annual permit issued at the discretion of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) director. Per commission policy, all non-spot shrimp trawl quota is managed for the exclusive benefit of the commercial fishery.
Current Season
The commercial non-spot shrimp beam trawl season is structured as follows:
Non-spot shrimp beam trawl specific harvest areas definitions:
| Name | Geographic Area Description (WAC 220-320-140 (3)) |
| South Lopez Sound | Those waters of Lopez Sound within subregion 1B that are south of a line projected true east-west from the northern tip of Trump Island (48.5064°, -122.8369°). |
| Rosario Box | That portion of Catch Area 22A within subregion 1B that are east of a line projected along -122.7833° longitude (east of Blakely Island) and west of a line projected along -122.7167° longitude (west of Cypress Island) in Rosario Strait. |
| Lummi-Sinclair Triangle | Those waters of Catch Area 21A north and west of a line from the southern tip of Sinclair Island (48.6097°, -122.6572°) to Carter Point (48.6404°, -122.6088°) on Lummi Island. |
- Non-spot shrimp beam trawl harvest is permitted starting one hour before official sunrise on the hard season opening dates listed for each of the areas detailed below.
Geographic Area Description ((WAC 220-320-140 (3); WAC 220-320-120) | Open period |
| Catch Area 20A outside of those waters north and east of a line from Point Roberts Light (48.9716°, -123.0838°) to Sandy Point Light at the Lummi Reservation (48.7868°, -122.7124°) | August 1, 2024 |
| Those waters within the Lummi-Sinclair Triangle. | July 1, 2024 |
| Those waters of South Lopez Sound. | July 10, 2024 |
| All waters within subregion 1B, excluding those waters of South Lopez Sound, the Lummi-Sinclair Triangle and Catch Area 20B. | June 16, 2024 |
| Subarea 23A East, MFSF Catch Areas 23B, and MFSF Catch Area 25A outside of the Discovery Bay Shrimp District. | May 1, 2024 |
| Subarea 23A West | May 1, 2024 |
| MFSF Catch Area 23C | May 1, 2024 |
| MFSF Catch Area 29 | May 1, 2024 |
- Non-spot shrimp beam trawl harvest is permitted starting one hour before official sunrise in the areas detailed below contingent on the harvester coordinating an on-board observing trip of the area. If by-catch sampling criteria are not met these areas will open on the later dates described in WAC 220-340-530 (5d, e).
Geographic Area Description ((WAC 220-320-140 (3); WAC 220-320-120) | Open period |
| Those waters within the Rosario Box. | May 1, 2024 |
| Those waters of Catch Area 22A within subregion 1B, excluding the Rosario Box and South Lopez Sound. | May 1, 2024 |
| Those waters of Catch Area 20B within subregion 1B. | May 1, 2024 |
Please refer to the pre-season commercial trawl fishery letter for more details.
Maps
For a printable, PDF version of the Puget Sound trawl areas, click this link: PS Commercial Trawl Areas
Region 1 Beam Trawl Areas
Region 3 Beam Trawl Areas
Beam Trawl Exclusion Areas
21A
East 20A
Marine Preserves and Conservation Areas
Fishery Profile
The Puget Sound beam trawl fishery currently operates in Marine Fish Shellfish (MFSF) Regions 1 and 3, landing catch in Bellingham, Anacortes, and Port Townsend. There are five valid permits for the fishery but only 2 to 4 are active in recent years. Landed catch includes several species of non-spot pandalid shrimps including P. eous, P. danae, P. dispar, P. hypsinotus, and P. goniurus. The harvest is typically destined for human consumption markets such as local seafood restaurants and farmers' markets or bait markets for recreational fishers.
Season Structure
Puget Sound shrimp beam trawl seasons typically are open from May 1 until mid-October, closing sooner if quotas are met. Region 1 is divided into 1A, 1B, and 1C with specific MFSF catch areas opening in a staggered structure. There is no quota available to the trawl fishery in the 1A sub-area of Region 1. Region 3 includes MFSF catch areas 23A, 23B, and 25A. Puget Sound shrimp trawl harvesters are limited to beam trawl gear and may use a maximum beam width of 25ft in Region 1 and 60ft in Region 3.
| Typical Open Date | Region | MFSF Areas | Depth Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 (conditional) | 1 | Portions of 22A | minimum fishing depth 100 ft |
| May 16 (conditional) | 1 | 1B/20B, part of 22A | minimum fishing depth 100 ft |
| June 16 | 1 | 1B/22A, 20B | minimum fishing depth 100 ft |
| July 1 | 1 | Portions of 21A | minimum fishing depth 100 ft |
| July 10 | 1 | 1B/22A fully opens | minimum fishing depth 100 ft |
| August 1 | 1 | Western 20A | minimum fishing depth 120 ft |
| May 1 | 3 | 23A, 23B, 25A | minimum fishing depth 100 ft |
Note: conditional opening dates are contingent on the requirement for harvesters to bring an Agency observer aboard on the the first trip in the MFSF area that is intended to be fished to assess bycatch concerns.
Landings
The landings of this fishery can vary widely, primarily as a function of the number of fishery participants (i.e., active vessels) and the effort of licensed vessels as markets and processing capabilities shift. Participation increased from 1990 and was highest from 1995 to 1997, then declined after establishment of a harvest quota in 1998. Annual catches also vary considerably, with the highest catch seen in 1995 (1.24 million pounds) and the lowest in 2010 (92,000). Over the past two decades, the value of this fishery was highest in 2000 at $475,163 and lowest in 2010 at $46,011.
Licensing and Permit Requirements
The Puget Sound shrimp beam trawl fishery is a limited-entry fishery and therefore licenses are limited by moratorium. It is unlawful to fish for shrimp for commercial purposes in Puget Sound using trawl gear except during seasons opened by emergency rule and authorized by a permit issued by the director. An existing license may be transferred to another owner, but no new licenses may be issued.
To renew an existing license, please visit the commercial fishery licensing page for limited entry fisheries: Limited Entry Fisheries
Logbook Instructions
Beam trawl 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 for the beam trawl fishery, please contact staff at the WDFW Port Townsend office:
Brad Speidel: 253-263-5560
Daniel Sund: 360-302-6372
For instructions in filling our your logbook, please see: Logbook Instructions
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 220-340-530: Commercial shrimp trawl 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 220-352-130: 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