WDFW Expands Recreational Shrimp Fishery In Marine Area 7 West

OLYMPIA - Recreational spot shrimpers will have additional opportunity to catch shrimp in the western section of the San Juan Islands next month, state shellfish managers announced today.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has added 17 days in May for recreational spot shrimping in Marine Area 7 West (western San Juan Islands). The new schedule for the area is:

Marine Area 7 West: Open daily beginning May 2. The recreational spot shrimp season closes when the quota is attained or Sept. 15, whichever comes first.

The area was set to only be open 13 days in May, before re-opening daily June 1, under a previously announced schedule, said Mark O'Toole, a shellfish biologist for WDFW.

"Last year, recreational spot shrimpers didn't reach their quota in Marine Area 7 West," O'Toole said. "We decided to provide extra days in May, when the shrimp season is at its peak."

Recreational shrimp seasons for Marine Area 7 East and South, along with the rest of Puget Sound, remain unchanged.

For a description of the marine areas, as well as information on shrimp fishing seasons in other areas of Puget Sound, visit WDFW's Recreational Shrimp Fishing website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/shrimp/ .

Recreational shrimp fishing gets under way May 2 in Puget Sound. Fishers are limited to 80 spot shrimp per day. A valid 2015-16 fishing license is required to participate in the fishery.