Commercial crabbing question

Is it legal for commercials to be running gear in MA-9 right now?

NOTICE: A regulation has been FINALIZED that will EXTEND the opening in Region 3-2 until 8 PM on Sunday, March 26, 2017. The pot limit will remain at 30 pots per license.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/commercial/crab/pugetsound/

Looks like it is closed to non-tribal crabbers - see (8)

Here's the link that will take you to the Puget Sound commercial crab regulations.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/commercial/crab/pugetsound/

11th Puget Sound Commercial Crab Emergency Regulation (3/23/2017)

ORDER NO. 17-58


N E W S E C T I O N


WAC 220-340-42000B Commercial crab fishery—unlawful acts.


Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-340-420:


(1) Effective 8:00 AM, Friday, March 24, 2017, until 8:00 PM, Sunday, March 26, 2017, it is unlawful for any person to fish for crabs for commercial purposes with more than 30 pots per license per buoy tag number in Crab Management Region 3-2. This region includes Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch Reporting Areas 23D, 25A, and 25E.


(2) Effective immediately, until further notice, it is unlawful for any person to fish for crabs for commercial purposes with more than 75 pots per license per buoy tag number in Crab Management Region 1, and Region 3-3. These regions include Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch Reporting Areas 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B, 23C and 29.


(3) Effective immediately, until further notice, it is unlawful for any person to fish for crabs for commercial purposes with more than 50 pots per license per buoy tag number in Crab Management Region 3-1. The region includes Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch Reporting Areas 23A, and 23B.


(4) All remaining buoy tags per license per region must be onboard the designated vessel and available for immediate inspection.


(5) Effective 8:01 PM, Sunday, March 26, 2017, Crab Management Region 3-2 is CLOSED. This region includes Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch Reporting Areas 23D, 25A, and 25E.


(6) Effective 8:01 PM, Friday, March 31, 2017, Crab Management Region 1, Region 3-1 and Region 3-3 are CLOSED. These regions include Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch Reporting Areas 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B, 23A, 23B, 23C and 29.


(7) Effective immediately, until further notice, Crab Management Region 2 East is CLOSED. This region includes Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch Reporting Areas 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D and 26A East.


(8) Effective immediately, until further notice, Crab Management Region 2 West is CLOSED. This region includes Marine Fish-Shellfish Catch Reporting Areas 25B, 25D and 26A West.

So 2W (MA 9) and 2E (MA 8-1 and 8-2) were opened 1 Oct and closed for the season (hopefully) on 23 March.

The rec season in those areas has been two months in the summer and then starting again in October and running through December with relatively low activity during those months.

The 2015 season's Staff presentation (required annually by the new policy) shows commercial versus rec harvests in 2W at approximately the same at roughly 200,000 pounds each. In 2E the rec harvest was about 1.1 million versus 650,000 for commercials. Hopefully I was able to read the bar graphs reasonably accurately: http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings/2016/04/apr0816_20_presentation.pdf.

My point is that 2W and 2E were intended to have an emphasis on recreational harvest. There seems to be no need to close those areas for the month of Sept to enable the State to assess rec harvest given the amount of commercial harvest with the NT commercial season opening before the rec winter season (the rationale there continues to be lost on me).

A couple of other observations are that:

1. The combined all areas Puget Sound NT commercial harvest still exceeds the all areas combined recreational harvest.

2. The presentation does not break out the recreational harvest within management areas by summer/winter; it might be illuminating to see how little rec activity occurs in that Oct-Dec fishery.

Maybe the new shellfish manager whomever that is will embrace some new ideas to improve recreational opportunity and especially in those two areas.

Was visiting in Bellingham yesterday. Counted at least 30 pots out in front of the boardwalk in the Bay. I assumed Tribal owned. Never the less bugged the crap out of me.

While it may represent good management on the State's part the number of sub-areas and on again/off again emergency rules it is impossible for the general public to know if pots are being legally fished.

And then there are the overlapping tribal fisheries with their own seasons.