RCW 77.80.020
Legislative finding and intent-1975 1st ex.s. c 183: "The legislature finds that the protection, welfare, and economic well-being of the commercial fishing industry is important to the people of this state. There presently exists an overabundance of commercial fishing gear in our state waters which causes great pressure on the fishing resources. This results in great economic waste to the state and prohibits conservation and harvesting programs from achieving their goals. This adverse situation has been compounded by the federal court decisions, United States of America et al. v. State of Washington et al., Civil No. 9213, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, February 12, 1974, and Sohappy v. Smith, 302 F. Supp. 899 (D. Oregon, 1969), as amended, affirmed, and remanded 529 F. 2d 570 (9th Cir., 1976). As a result, large numbers of commercial fishermen face personal economic hardship, and the state commercial fishing industry is confronted with economic difficulty. The public welfare requires that the state have the authority to purchase commercial fishing vessels, licenses, gear, and permits offered for sale, as appropriate, in a manner which will provide relief to the individual vessel owner, and which will effect a reduction in the amount of commercial fishing gear in use in the state so as to insure increased economic opportunity for those persons in the industry and to insure that sound scientific conservation and harvesting programs can be carried out. It is the intention of the legislature to provide relief to commercial fishermen adversely affected by the current economic situation in the state fishery and to preserve this valuable state industry and these natural resources." [ 1977 ex.s. c 230 s 2; 1975 1st ex.s. c 183 s 2. Formerly RCW 75.28.500.]