LCL 10 Natural Resources

uyer’s, or station commercial quantities of
crab more than 4 hours after the close of a
fishery.
Violations of this section shall be punishable
by forfeiture of all crab in transport and:
First violations: a civil penalty of $500.00.
Subsequent violations within a 3 year period
shall be punishable by a civil penalty of
$800.00 and suspension of crab fishing
privileges and a freeze on the transfer of
ownership of all other pots owned by the
violator and the vessel, and a prohibition of
the use of the any vessel owned by the
violator in crab fisheries until the violator no
earlier than 90 days from the Court decision, a
requests and receives permission from the
Commission and the Council to participate in
the crab fishery again.
10.13.130 Use of Clams as Bait
It shall be a violation of this title to use in
commercial crab pots: to possess live clams
on a vessel registered in the commercial crab
fishery or to use clams as bait in a crab fishery
unless the fisher can document lawful harvest
of the clams by a receipt from a buyer who
has purchased the clams under the conditions
of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.
Violations are punishable by civil penalties as
follows:
First violation
$100.00 to $200.00
Second violation
$250.00 to $500.00 and loss of harvest
privileges for 30 to 60 days.
Subsequent violations
$500.00 to $1000.00 and loss of harvest
privileges until the violator, after one year of
the court decision, meets with the Council and
the Commission and has crab fishing
privileges restored.
10.13.140 Use of Ground Lines
The use of ground lines in the crab fishery is
unlawful, unless specifically provided for in
regulations to avoid pot loss in high traffic
lanes. Violation of this section shall be
punishable by forfeiture of all catch, gear, and
vessels involved in the illegal activity and a
civil penalty of:
First violation: $500.00 and 30 days
suspension of crab fishing privileges and a
freeze on the transfer of ownership of all other
pots owned by the violator and the vessel, and
a prohibition of the use of the any vessel
owned by the violator in crab fisheries for the
period of the suspension.
Subsequent violations within a 3 year period
shall be punishable by a civil penalty of
$800.00 and suspension of crab fishing
privileges, a freeze on the transfer of
ownership of the vessel used in the violation
and all other pots owned by the violator, and a
prohibition of the use of any vessel owned by
the violator in crab fisheries until the violator,
no earlier than 90 days from the Court
decision, requests and receives permission
from the Commission and the Council to
participate in the crab fishery again.
10.13.150 Legal Commercial Dungeness
Crab
It shall be unlawful for any person involved in
commercial crab harvest to take, or possess:
(a) Female Dungeness crabs, or
(b) Dungeness crabs measuring less than 6 1/4
inches, caliper measurement across the back
immediately in front of the tips, or
(c) Soft Dungeness crab in excess of 1% of
the crab numbers on board a vessel. Crab are
soft when the shell will yield more than 1/8th
of an inch when normal pressure is applied
with the thumb and finger to the top and
bottom of the crab in the area of the base of
the claw, or which fail to revive when
returned to the water.
(d) Crab without backs or which have been
processed in a manner, which will not allow
the determination of the size or sex of the
individual.
The possession of illegal crab on board a
vessel or in transit to a processor shall be
considered a violation punishable a civil
penalty.
Title 10 Natural Resources Code (2008)
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