WAC 220-20-025   General provisions -- Shellfish.  (1) It is unlawful to drive or operate any motor-propelled vehicle, land any airplane or ride or lead any horse on the razor clam beds of the state of Washington, as defined in WAC 220-16-257. A violation of this subsection shall be punished as an infraction.

     (2) It is unlawful to possess soft-shelled crab for any commercial purpose.

     (3) It is unlawful to possess in the field any crab from which the back shell has been removed.

     (4) It is unlawful to willfully damage crab or other shellfish. Any crab taken incidentally to a net fishery must be immediately returned to the water with the least possible damage to the crab.

     (5) "Shellfish" includes all bodily parts but does not include five pounds or less of relic shells of classified shellfish or relic shells of unclassified freshwater and marine invertebrates. A relic (dead) shell is defined as one which apparently died of natural causes and contains no meat or soft parts; it readily exhibits noticeable sediment, vegetation, algal or mineral stains, discolorations, soiling, weathering or other visual evidence on its interior surface which clearly and unambiguously shows the shell has not been cooked-out or freshly cleaned. No license or permit is required to take or possess up to five pounds of relic shells per day. It is unlawful to take or possess more than five pounds of relic shells without first obtaining a scientific collection permit. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, it is unlawful to remove relic oyster shells from tidelands.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. 06-23-114 (Order 06-289), § 220-20-025, filed 11/17/06, effective 12/18/06; 02-23-002 (Order 02-278), § 220-20-025, filed 11/6/02, effective 12/7/02; 02-08-048 (Order 02-53), § 220-20-025, filed 3/29/02, effective 5/1/02; 00-17-106 (Order 00-149), § 220-20-025, filed 8/16/00, effective 9/16/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. 00-01-095 (Order 99-213), § 220-20-025, filed 12/15/99, effective 1/15/00; 98-15-031 (Order 98-120), § 220-20-025, filed 7/7/98, effective 8/7/98; 95-23-020 (Order 95-166), § 220-20-025, filed 11/8/95, effective 12/9/95; 94-12-009 (Order 94-23), § 220-20-025, filed 5/19/94, effective 6/19/94; 90-06-045 (Order 90-15), § 220-20-025, filed 3/1/90, effective 4/1/90; 80-13-064 (Order 80-123), § 220-20-025, filed 9/17/80; Order 1179, § 220-20-025, filed 11/19/74; Order 990, § 220-20-025, filed 5/11/72; Order 810, § 220-20-025, filed 4/17/69.]