The first Virginia Act protecting fisheries was passed in 1680, prohibiting fishing with gigs and harping irons in Gloucester, Middlesex, and Lancaster.

The question of boundary lines between Virginia and Maryland remained unsettled from their very beginning as colonies. Although the original boundaries of Virginia encompassed the Potomac River and Maryland, those areas were separated from Virginia in 1632 when King Charles I gave a charter to Lord Baltimore to establish the Province of Maryland.

Later Jefferson, Madison, Washington, and Randolph were instrumental in establishing negotiations to secure access for Virginians to the Potomac River. Under the Compact of 1785 Virginia acquired equal access to the Potomac fisheries, while acknowledging ownership of the river by Maryland.

Today the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, an interstate compact commission jointly administered by Virginia and Maryland, regulates and manages Potomac River fisheries. The fisheries are open equally to residents of both states. Virginia Marine Resources Commission officers have joint law enforcement responsibility in the Potomac with Maryland officers.

Following the Civil War, thousands of the unemployed sought to make a living harvesting oysters on the Chesapeake Bay. It was a time of exploitation and open conflict between watermen over boundaries and rights to oyster beds.

Virginia and Maryland established State Oyster Police Navies to enforce order, boundaries, and prevent poaching.

In Virginia, a "Board of the Chesapeake" operated two Oyster Police schooners; the Tangier, and the Pocomoke.

An Act was passed providing for the appointment of a three-member Fish Commission. It had only an advisory function: reviewing conditions in the fisheries and recommending fisheries legislation to the Governor and General Assembly.

Operating continuously since that beginning, the Fish Commission evolved to become the Marine Resources with regulatory authority, law enforcement powers, and an array of marine program responsibilities.

While the State boundary line issue had generally been settled to include the Potomac River within Maryland, there continued to be unsettled disputes about the open water boundary across Chesapeake Bay, Tangier, and Pocomoke Sounds. With prime oyster beds at stake, open conflicts over harvesting rights took place between watermen of the two states.

The modern day boundary line was finally determined in binding arbitration known as the "Black and Jenkins Award." Both states agreed to accept a boundary finding from a distinguished panel of statesmen and jurists. Surveying and mapping the marine waters and boundaries continues to be modern day responsibility of the Marine Resources Commission.

The Constitution of Virginia, Article XI, guarantees that the natural oyster beds, rocks and shoals be reserved for public use.

A massive two-year survey was conducted throughout State tidal waters to locate and map the naturally productive oyster beds, rocks, and shoals. Known as the "Baylor Survey", these areas were reserved for public shellfish harvesting and cannot be leased or used for other purposes.

The Baylor Survey is still in use, and is shown on current oyster planting ground maps.

Although the Fish Commission was established in 1875, the Virginia Oyster Navy continued to operate separately under the Board of the Chesapeake. When transferred to the Fish Commission in 1897, the Virginia Oyster Navy consisted of four police vessels: schooners Pocomoke and Tangier and steamers Chesapeake and Accomac. Other vessels acquired later included the steamers Commodore Maury and James River.

Today, waterborne patrols of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission are carried out for fisheries conservation, law enforcement, search and rescue, habitat protection, sanitation, and public health.

The entire marine patrol force of the Fisheries Commission was placed in the United States Naval Reserve during World War I, providing harbor security patrols on the State's waters.

A system of State-employed district oyster inspectors was established in 1920. Prior to that time, a network of county oyster inspectors and county surveyors administered oyster bed leasing in the localities. The inspectors were compensated by retaining a portion of fines and other fees collected. Their oyster inspection work was generally a sideline to other jobs held in the communities.

When the State Fisheries Commission assumed full control of oyster administration in 1920, nineteen oyster districts were established. One full-time inspector was employed for each district at $60.00 per month.

Today, shellfish bed leasing is centrally administered by an automated department at Marine Resources Commission Headquarters. The inspectors have much broader law enforcement responsibilities as Virginia Marine Patrol Officers.

The Virginia oyster industry was reported to be in a very healthy condition in 1957. Acres of private oyster ground under lease were at an all time high. Virginia was producing about thirty percent of the national supply.

Within two years, oyster beds in the lower Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads suffered severe damage from a disease known as MSX. Heavy losses left some oyster beds barren. Production in 1962 was the smallest in 44 years.

In 1963, the Commission of Fisheries began large scale efforts to replenish public oyster beds using shells dredged from submerged deposits. Oyster production was showing a substantial increase in the 1970 season. Then tropical storm Agnes flooded the major tributaries with fresh water. Not since 1771 had a single storm so severely damaged the oyster industry. Oyster beds that had been spared by MSX were destroyed by fresh water.

While natural production of oysters was once taken for granted, it is not likely that sustained production can again be obtained from public grounds without continued conservation and repletion efforts.

In 1962, responsibility for permitting encroachments in or over state-owned submerged lands was transferred from the Office of the Attorney General to the Commission of Fisheries.

In 1967, a Virginia legislative study commission recommended a significantly broadened mission for the agency. As a result, the Commission of Fisheries became the Marine Resources Commission.

Approximately one million anglers go fishing each year in the tidal waters of Virginia. Recreational fishing is economically important for its contributions to travel, tourism, and the sport fishing industry. Man-made reef structures enhance the bottom habitat, increase the production of fisheries, and improve recreational fishing.

State-supported efforts to construct artificial fishing reefs began with six surplus World War II liberty ships which were sunk offshore to create increased fishing opportunities.

Virginia is using a variety of materials and structures to construct reefs in the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. Examples include tires cast in concrete and precast concrete igloo structures.

Extensive research and study go into the planning, design, and construction of artificial reefs.

The Marine Resources Commission became responsible for a new state program aimed at balancing conservation-vs-development in the preservation of tidal wetlands.

A new state law recognized the environmental value of tidal wetlands; authorized a permitting system for their protection; and authorized a network of local wetlands boards to make conservation-vs-development judgements on projects within the individual localities.

While the value of marine habitat resources along the shoreline is recognized today, throughout most of Virginia history waterways and marshes were often filled to make land. Many coastal towns like Norfolk were built of fill.

A state financial assistance program for Tidewater localities was established to help them operate marine patrols. Legislation resulted from recommendations of a Marine Patrol Study Commission formed by the General Assembly.

Since 1979, the Marine Resources Commission has made yearly financial payments to Tidewater cities and counties which provide marine patrols for law enforcement, safety, and rescue activities.

Coastal primary sand dunes and beaches were added to marine habitat protection legislation. Following the same principles previously established for wetlands protection, the Coastal Primary Sand Dunes Act requires permits in order to insure that development is reasonably balanced with the protection and preservation of these coastal features.

Inappropriate development on coastal primary sand dunes and beaches can destroy vegetation; alter storm protecting contours; increase erosion flooding and property damage; destroy wildlife habitat; and lead to increased expenditures of public funds.

Almost sixty years earlier, efforts were made to protect and restore barrier island sand dunes in the Sandbridge area to prevent breaching by the Atlantic Ocean into the sound of Back Bay.

The Virginia General Assembly enacted a state fishery management policy with a goal to manage fisheries for the long term good using the best available scientific, economic, biological, and sociological information available. This policy marked a shifting away from fisheries controlled by legislation, to fisheries managed by plans and regulations of the Marine Resources Commission. In this vein, a legislative report recommended: 

While fisheries management is now based upon professionally prepared plans for the major species, using the best available data and analysis, regulatory decisions are made in an open and democratic process by the agency's nine member commission.

Public sessions of the nine-member citizen commission include hearings, open discussion of resource management issues, adoption of conservation regulations, and environmental permit decisions. Time and attention are always given to citizens who appear with ideas, information, and comments.