May 31, 2016
Action: Opens recreational crab fisheries in five marine areas of Puget Sound.
Species affected: Dungeness and red rock crab.
Dates and locations:
All of Marine Area 13 will open at 6 a.m. June 2 through Sept. 5. Crabbing will be allowed Thursdays through Mondays each week; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Marine Area 4 east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line and all of Marine Area 5 and 12 will open at 6 a.m. June 16 through Sept. 5. Crabbing will be allowed Thursdays through Mondays each week; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The portion of Marine Area 9 north of the Hood Canal Bridge to a line connecting Foulweather Bluff to Olele Point will open at 6 a.m. June 16 through Sept. 5. Crabbing will be allowed Thursdays through Mondays each week; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Reason for action: State and tribal co-managers have agreed that legal-size Dungeness crabs will have reached the hardshell criteria for harvest by the dates referenced above. Opening these areas ahead of other marine areas in Puget Sound will also improve the opportunity for non-treaty fishers to catch their annual quota of crab in these waters.
All other marine areas of Puget Sound will remain closed until further notice.
Other information: The daily limits in all marine areas will be five crabs per day for Dungeness crabs and six crabs per day for red rock crabs. All Dungeness crabs retained during this time must be recorded on a summer catch record card.
Contact: Don Velasquez, Mill Creek Regional Office, (425) 775-1311 ext. 112.
Species affected: Dungeness and red rock crab.
Dates and locations:
All of Marine Area 13 will open at 6 a.m. June 2 through Sept. 5. Crabbing will be allowed Thursdays through Mondays each week; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Marine Area 4 east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line and all of Marine Area 5 and 12 will open at 6 a.m. June 16 through Sept. 5. Crabbing will be allowed Thursdays through Mondays each week; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The portion of Marine Area 9 north of the Hood Canal Bridge to a line connecting Foulweather Bluff to Olele Point will open at 6 a.m. June 16 through Sept. 5. Crabbing will be allowed Thursdays through Mondays each week; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Reason for action: State and tribal co-managers have agreed that legal-size Dungeness crabs will have reached the hardshell criteria for harvest by the dates referenced above. Opening these areas ahead of other marine areas in Puget Sound will also improve the opportunity for non-treaty fishers to catch their annual quota of crab in these waters.
All other marine areas of Puget Sound will remain closed until further notice.
Other information: The daily limits in all marine areas will be five crabs per day for Dungeness crabs and six crabs per day for red rock crabs. All Dungeness crabs retained during this time must be recorded on a summer catch record card.
Contact: Don Velasquez, Mill Creek Regional Office, (425) 775-1311 ext. 112.