(1) A Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery license:
(a) May only be issued to a natural person who held a coastal spot shrimp experimental emerging commercial fishery license and coastal spot shrimp fishery permit in 2010 or had the license transferred to him or her, under RCW 77.65.020 and 77.65.040, by a person who held a coastal spot shrimp experimental emerging commercial fishery license and coastal spot shrimp fishery permit in 2010;
(b) Must be renewed annually by December 31st of the calendar year to remain active; and
(c) Subject to the restrictions of subsection (7) of this section and to RCW 77.65.020 and 77.65.040, is transferable to a natural person beginning January 1, 2012.
(2) When a person fails to obtain a Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery license during the previous year because of a license suspension, the person may qualify for a license by establishing that the person held such a license during the last year in which the license was not suspended.
(3) The annual fee for a Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery license is as specified in RCW 77.65.220.
(4) Beginning in 2013, after taking into consideration the status of the coastal spot shrimp population, the market for spot shrimp, and the number of active fishers, both nontreaty and treaty, the director may issue a Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery license to a natural person if the issuance would not raise the number of active spot shrimp pot fishery licenses to more than eight.
(5) Beginning 2012, a Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery license holder is prohibited from designating, on the Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery license:
(a) A vessel whose surveyed length overall is more than ten feet longer than the surveyed length overall of the vessel designated on the licensee's coastal spot shrimp experimental emerging commercial fishery license as of March 31, 2003; and
(b) A vessel whose surveyed length overall exceeds ninety feet.
(6) In the event the Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery license is transferred by sale, lease, inheritance, or lottery, and pursuant to subsection (4) of this section, the vessel length restriction associated with that license must remain attached to the license.
(7) A natural person may not own or hold an ownership interest in more than one Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery license at a time.
(8) Only a person who owns or is designated as an operator of the vessel designated on the license may hold a Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery license.
(9) Nothing in this section:
(a) Requires the commission to open a commercial coastal spot shrimp fishery in any given year;
(b) Prohibits the commission from closing or limiting an opened commercial coastal spot shrimp fishery for any reason; or
(c) Confers any right of compensation to the holder of a Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery license if the license is revoked, limited, or modified by the legislature.
(10) Issuance of a Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery license does not create, and may not be construed to create, any right, title, or interest in the coastal spot shrimp resource.
(11) The legislature recognizes that Washington-coastal spot shrimp pot fishery licenses may be revoked by future legislatures if the fishery is found to have jeopardized the sustainability of the coastal spot shrimp resource or the marine ecosystem.
[ 2011 c 147 § 2.]