The Virginia Marine Resources Commission invites public comment on the proposed regulations listed below.
In accordance with Section 28.2-209 of the Code of Virginia, a public hearing on the proposed regulations will be held at 12:00 Noon, on Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 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, 2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor, Newport News, Virginia 23607, by 5:00 p.m., Monday, February 23, 2009. Copies of the proposed regulations 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.
1. Chapter 4VAC20-620-et seq. "Pertaining to Summer flounder"
The Commission invites public comments on conservation options designed to result in
2009 recreational landings of summer flounder that do not exceed the Virginia
recreational summer flounder 2009 target landings of 345,000 fish. This target is
established by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and represents
a 0.8 percent increase from the 2008 recreational target of 342,254 summer flounder.
The options are as follows:
Option Minimum Size
Possession Limit Closure Dates
limit (inches) (number of fish)
A)
19
5
None
B)
18½
5
7/21 through 8/3 or 2 weeks during
May 1 through June 30
C)
18½
5
None
2. Section 20 of 4VAC 20-700-10 et seq. Cull ring requirements
The Commission proposes to amend the cull ring requirements, for the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries and the Potomac tributaries of Virginia, so that crab pots set and
fished in these areas will no longer need to contain a 2-3/16-inch cull ring or a 2-5/16-inch cull ring to be
lawful. Any crab pot set or fished by any person in these areas
shall still be required to contain two unobstructed cull rings that are at least 2-3/8
inches, inside diameter, and shall be located one each in opposite exterior side panels
of the upper chamber of the crab pot.
3. Virginia Seafood Council 2008 Study of Crassostrea Ariakensis
On February 24, 2009, the Commission will review and accept public comment on the Virginia Seafood Council's 2009 proposal for continuing an overboard study of the nonnative
Crassostrea Ariakensis oyster. Public comments on the proposal are welcome.
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VMRC DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES; THEREFORE, IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS DUE TO A DISABILITY, PLEASE ADVISE BETTY WARREN (757-247-2248) NO LATER THAN FIVE WORK DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING DATE AND IDENTIFY YOUR NEEDS.
