The Virginia Marine
Resources Commission invites public comment on proposed amendments to
Regulation 4 VAC 20-995-10 et seq., "Pertaining to Commercial
Hook-and-Line Fishing"; Regulation 4 VAC 20-252-10 et seq.,
"Pertaining to Striped Bass"; and, Regulation 4 VAC 20-755-10 et
seq., "Pertaining to Artificial Reefs." The proposed amendments are described below.
In accordance with
Section 28.2-209 of the Code of Virginia, a public hearing on the proposed
amendments will be held at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, October 24, 2000, at the
Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, Newport News,
Virginia. Written comments on the
proposals should be mailed to Jack Travelstead, VMRC, Fisheries Management
Division-3rd Floor, 2600 Washington Avenue, Newport News, Virginia 23607.
Copies of the proposed amendments may be reviewed at the Commission,
Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and may be obtained by calling
the Commission at (757) 247-2248.
Proposed Amendments:
1) Establish
the maximum number of general commercial hook-and-line licenses at 200.
2) Allow
for the replacement of general commercial hook-and-line licenses annually by
random drawing when the number of licenses falls below the maximum number
allowed.
3) Limit
the sale of general commercial hook-and-line licenses to registered commercial
fishermen who have documented through the Commission's mandatory harvest
reporting program the sale of at least 1000 pounds of seafood over the previous
two years.
4) Provide
for the transfer of general commercial hook-and-line licenses only to
registered commercial fishermen who have documented through the Commission's
mandatory harvest reporting program the sale of at least 1000 pounds of seafood
over the previous two years. Transfers
of licenses between family members shall be exempt from this requirement.
5) Require
each commercial hook-and-line vessel to display identifying license plates,
provided by the Commission, on the port and starboard sides of the vessel when
on a commercial fishing trip.
6) Prohibit recreational fishing on any commercial hook-and-line vessel during a commercial fishing trip.
7) Require
commercial hook and line fishermen to register their crew members with the
Commission annually in advance of any fishing.
Allow for changes to the registration list twice per year and provide
that one crew person per vessel need not be registered.
8) Prohibit
the harvest of black drum by commercial hook-and-line within 300 yards of the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel at any time.
9) Increase
the time period during which striped bass may be harvested by commercial
hook-and-line within 300 feet of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel during the
open recreational fishing season from midnight Sunday through midnight
Wednesday to a longer period of midnight Sunday through 6:00 a.m. Friday.
10) Prohibit
all commercial fishing on the following artificial fishing reefs:
a) Back
River Reef centered at Latitude 37 08.2N, Longitude 76 13.9W
b) Cabbage
Patch Reef centered at Latitude 37 10 15N, Longitude 76 02 33W
c) Cherrystone
Reef centered at Latitude 37 19 04 N, Longitude 76 02 33W
d) East
Ocean View Reef centered at Latitude 36 56 32.5 N, Longitude 76 12 11.5W
e) Middle
Ground Reef centered at Latitude 36 56.7 N, Longitude 76 23.5W
f) Nassawadox
Reef centered at Latitude 37 29 33N, Longitude 76 00 57W
g) Occohannock
Reef centered at Latitude 37 34.35N, Longitude 76 00.70W