(1)(a) An individual age sixteen and older who works on board any vessel while operating in a commercial fishery regulated by the state must obtain a crewmember license from the department. However, an individual on the vessel designated as the primary or alternate operator on the commercial fishing license and an individual on the vessel licensed and working as a geoduck diver or geoduck tender do not also need a crewmember license. Crewmembers working for licensed charters or guides are not required to have a crewmember license.
(b) A crewmember license is required for each individual who participates in the operation of the vessel or the harvest. For the purposes of this section, the term "harvest" includes participation in tending, deploying, retrieving, or baiting fishing gear, harvesting, or placing fish or shellfish in holds.
(c) Each individual required to have a crewmember license as set forth in this section must have in their possession at least one piece of identifying documentation as specified in RCW
46.20.035(1) (a) through (f) that contains the signature and a photograph of the individual and produce the documentation at the request of a fish and wildlife officer or ex officio fish and wildlife officer.
(d) An albacore tuna crewmember license satisfies the requirements specified in (a) and (b) of this subsection on vessels fishing for albacore tuna or baitfish lampara.
(2) A crewmember license must be purchased in the name of the individual working as the crewmember. The license holder may use the license aboard any commercial fishing vessel, except an albacore tuna crewmember license is only valid for participating in the albacore tuna fishery or baitfish lampara fishery. A crewmember license purchased by a crewmember may not be transferred to another individual.
(3) Up to two crewmember licenses may be purchased and held by a commercial fishing license holder for use by any individual working on the vessel named in the commercial fishing license, as long as the individual is not prohibited from obtaining a crewmember license. Each crewmember license held by a commercial fishing license holder covers one crewmember per trip, but the same crewmember license may be used to authorize a different individual to act as a crewmember on a subsequent trip. The commission may adopt fishery specific rules that:
(a) Increase the number of crewmember licenses that may be held by a commercial fishing license holder;
(b) Pertain to the issuance, period of validity, use, possession, and display of the licenses.
(4) The fee for an annual crewmember license is thirty-five dollars for residents and one hundred ten dollars for nonresidents. The fee for an annual albacore tuna crewmember license is thirty-five dollars for residents and nonresidents. Additional application fees and surcharges do not apply except that if the license is purchased through the automated licensing system the fees authorized in RCW
77.32.050 apply.
(5) The licenses must be available through the automated licensing system and transaction fees and dealer fees apply, except as provided in subsection (4) of this section. The annual crewmember license is valid for a calendar year.
(6) Family members of the commercial license holder or alternate operators are exempt from the requirements of this section. For purposes of this section, family members include children, grandchildren, spouse, parents, or siblings of the commercial license holder.
