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Agency filings affecting this section

PDFWAC 220-330-010

Shellfish—Daily limits, size restrictions, and unlawful acts.

It is unlawful for any one person to possess more than one daily limit of fresh shellfish while in the field or in transit. Additional shellfish may be possessed in a frozen or processed form. It is unlawful for any one person to take more than the following quantities of shellfish in any one day for personal use, or take or possess shellfish that measure less than the caliper measurement described in this section. Caliper measurement is defined as a linear measurement when both points of a movable caliper are touching the shell of the shellfish. A fixed caliper gauge is the linear distance between points of the caliper gauge or the diameter of a circular gauge.
(1) Marine clams:
(a) Clams (not including razor clams, geoduck clams and horse clams):
(i) Daily limit is 40 clams total, not to exceed 10 pounds in the shell.
(ii) Minimum size for Manila, native littleneck, butter clams, and cockles is 1 1/2 inches across the widest dimension of the shell.
(b) Geoduck clams:
(i) Daily limit is first 3 clams dug, regardless of size or condition. Broken clams count towards daily limit. No minimum size limit.
(ii) It is unlawful to maim, injure or attempt to capture a geoduck by thrusting any instrument through its siphon or to possess only the siphon or neck portion of a geoduck.
(c) Horse clams: Daily limit is first 7 clams dug, regardless of size or condition. Broken clams count towards daily limit. No minimum size limit.
(d) Razor clams: Daily limit is 15 clams. No minimum size limit.
(e) It is unlawful for any person digging clams (other than razor clam) for personal use to fail to refill holes created during the digging operation. Beach terrain must be returned to its approximate original condition by the clam diggers before leaving immediate site of harvest. Violation of provisions of this subsection is an infraction punishable under RCW 77.15.160.
(f) Relic shells: No license or permit is required to take or possess up to 5 pounds of relic shells per day. It is unlawful to take or possess more than 5 pounds of relic shells from public tidelands without first obtaining a scientific collection permit. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, it is unlawful to remove relic oyster shells from public tidelands.
(2) Crab:
(a) General provisions:
(i) All crab measurements must be made at the widest part of the shell (carapace) immediately in front of the points (tips) on the carapace.
(ii) It is unlawful to possess in the field any crab or crab parts without also retaining the back shell of each crab.
(iii) It is unlawful for any person to take or possess any female Dungeness crab.
(iv) It is unlawful to possess soft-shelled crab for any purpose. Violation of this subsection is an infraction, punishable under RCW 77.15.160.
(b) Dungeness crab:
(i)(A) In Marine Area 1 (except when fishing from the north jetty of the Columbia River), Marine Areas 2, 3, and 4 west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line (Coastal waters): Daily limit is 6 male crab.
(B) Minimum size limit is 6 inches.
(ii)(A) In the Columbia River upstream of a line from the outermost end of the north jetty to the exposed end of the south jetty, and when fishing from the north jetty of the Columbia River: Daily limit is 12 male crab.
(B) Minimum size limit is 5 3/4 inches.
(iii)(A) In Marine Area 4 east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line, and Marine Areas 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 (Puget Sound): Daily limit is 5 male crab.
(B) Minimum size limit is 6 1/4 inches.
(c) Red rock crab:
(i) Daily limit is 6 crab. Either sex may be retained.
(ii) Minimum size limit is 5 inches.
(d) King and box crab: Closed in all waters.
(e) Tanner crab:
(i) Daily limit is 6 crab. Either sex may be retained.
(ii) Minimum size limit is 4 1/2 inches.
(3) Crawfish:
(a) Daily limit is 10 pounds, whole crawfish in the shell.
(b) Minimum size limit 3 1/4 inches from tip of rostrum to tip of tail.
(c) Female crawfish with eggs or young attached to the abdomen must be released immediately.
(d) Take or possession of crawfish must also comply with provisions of chapter 220-640 WAC.
(4) Goose barnacles: Daily limit is 10 pounds of whole barnacles in the shell or 5 pounds of barnacle stalks. No minimum size limit.
(5) Mussels: Daily limit is 10 pounds in the shell, all species in the aggregate. No minimum size limit.
(6) Octopus: Daily limit is one octopus. No minimum size limit.
(7) Oysters:
(a) Daily limit is 18 oysters.
(b) Minimum size limit before shucking is 2 1/2 inches along the widest dimension of the shell. Violation of this subsection is an infraction, punishable under RCW 77.15.160.
(c) Oysters taken for personal use must be shucked before removing oysters from the intertidal zone and the shells replaced on the tidelands at the approximate tide level from which original was taken. Violation of this subsection is an infraction, punishable under RCW 77.15.160.
(8) Scallops:
(a) Rock scallops:
(i) Daily limit is 6 scallops.
(ii) Minimum size limit is 4 inches. Violation of this subsection is an infraction, punishable under RCW 77.15.160.
(b) Pink and spiny scallops:
(i) Combined daily limit is 40 scallops in the shell.
(ii) Minimum size limit is 2 inches. Violation of this subsection is an infraction, punishable under RCW 77.15.160.
(c) Weathervane scallops:
(i) Daily limits is 12 scallops.
(ii) Minimum size limit is 4 inches.
(9) Sea cucumbers: Daily limit is 18 California sea cucumbers. No minimum size limit.
(10) Sea urchins:
(a) Red sea urchins:
(i) Daily limit is 18 red sea urchins.
(ii) Minimum size limit 3 1/4 inch shell diameter exclusive of the spines. Maximum size limit is 5 inch shell diameter exclusive of the spines. Violation of this subsection is an infraction, punishable under RCW 77.15.160.
(b) Purple sea urchins:
(i) Daily limit is 18 purple sea urchins.
(ii) Minimum size limit is 2 1/4 inch shell diameter exclusive of the spines.
(c) Green sea urchins:
(i) Daily limit is 18 green sea urchins.
(ii) Minimum size limit is 2 1/4 inch shell diameter exclusive of the spines.
(11) Shrimp:
(a) In Marine Areas 1, 2, and 3 and Marine Area 4 west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line: Daily total weight limit is 25 pounds, maximum of 200 spot shrimp as part of the 25-pound limit.
(b)(i) In Marine Area 4 east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line and Marine Areas 5, 6, 7, 8-1, 8-2, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13: Daily limit is 80 spot shrimp; with a total daily weight limit of 10 pounds (whole shrimp) all species combined.
(ii) If retaining nonspot shrimp, all shrimp heads (spot and nonspot) must be retained in the field until ashore and finished fishing for the day.
(c) Ghost and mud shrimp: Daily limit is 120 shrimp.
(12) Squid:
(a) Humboldt squid: 1 squid. No minimum size limit.
(b) All other species of squid: Daily limit is 10 pounds or 5 quarts of squid. No minimum size limit.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, 77.12.045, and 77.12.047. WSR 22-05-066 (Order 22-06), § 220-330-010, filed 2/11/22, effective 7/1/22. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.020, and 77.04.055. WSR 20-04-058 (Order 20-19), § 220-330-010, filed 1/30/20, effective 7/1/20. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, and 77.12.047. WSR 17-05-112 (Order 17-04), recodified as § 220-330-010, filed 2/15/17, effective 3/18/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.020, and 77.12.047. WSR 17-01-085 (Order 16-322), § 220-56-310, filed 12/16/16, effective 1/16/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012 and 77.12.047. WSR 13-19-007 (Order 13-221), § 220-56-310, filed 9/5/13, effective 10/6/13. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. WSR 10-07-105 (Order 10-64), § 220-56-310, filed 3/19/10, effective 5/1/10; WSR 08-07-003, § 220-56-310, filed 3/5/08, effective 4/5/08; WSR 06-05-085 (Order 06-23), § 220-56-310, filed 2/14/06, effective 5/1/06; WSR 05-12-007 (Order 05-102), § 220-56-310, filed 5/19/05, effective 6/19/05; WSR 05-05-035 (Order 05-15), § 220-56-310, filed 2/10/05, effective 5/1/05; WSR 04-17-088 (Order 04-217), § 220-56-310, filed 8/16/04, effective 9/16/04; WSR 04-07-009 (Order 04-39), § 220-56-310, filed 3/4/04, effective 5/1/04; WSR 02-08-048 (Order 02-53), § 220-56-310, filed 3/29/02, effective 5/1/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080, 77.12.040. WSR 00-08-038 (Order 00-29), § 220-56-310, filed 3/29/00, effective 5/1/00; WSR 99-15-081 (Order 99-102), § 220-56-310, filed 7/20/99, effective 8/20/99; WSR 99-08-029 (Order 99-13), § 220-56-310, filed 3/30/99, effective 5/1/99; WSR 98-06-031, § 220-56-310, filed 2/26/98, effective 5/1/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 97-07-078 (Order 97-53), § 220-56-310, filed 3/19/97, effective 5/1/97; WSR 95-04-066 (Order 95-10), § 220-56-310, filed 1/30/95, effective 5/1/95; WSR 93-08-034 (Order 93-20), § 220-56-310, filed 3/31/93, effective 5/1/93; WSR 92-11-012 (Order 92-19), § 220-56-310, filed 5/12/92, effective 6/12/92; WSR 90-06-026, § 220-56-310, filed 2/28/90, effective 3/31/90; WSR 89-07-060 (Order 89-12), § 220-56-310, filed 3/16/89; WSR 88-12-025 (Order 88-28), § 220-56-310, filed 5/25/88, effective 8/22/88; WSR 88-10-013 (Order 88-15), § 220-56-310, filed 4/26/88; WSR 87-09-066 (Order 87-16), § 220-56-310, filed 4/21/87; WSR 86-24-046 (Order 86-190), § 220-56-310, filed 11/26/86; WSR 86-09-020 (Order 86-08), § 220-56-310, filed 4/9/86; WSR 85-12-046 (Order 85-57), § 220-56-310, filed 6/5/85; WSR 84-09-026 (Order 84-22), § 220-56-310, filed 4/11/84; WSR 83-04-027 (Order 83-06), § 220-56-310, filed 1/27/83; WSR 82-07-047 (Order 82-19), § 220-56-310, filed 3/18/82; WSR 80-03-064 (Order 80-12), § 220-56-310, filed 2/27/80, effective 4/1/80.]