Publice Notice: The trip limit for the black sea bass bycatch fishery

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission invites public comment on the proposed amendments to the regulations listed below.

In accordance with §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 26, 2004 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, October 25, 2004.  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.

I.    Regulation 4 VAC 20-950-10 et seq., "Pertaining to Black Sea Bass"

On September 28, 2004, the Marine Resources Commission adopted, under its emergency regulatory authority, an amendment to the above regulation that increases the trip limit for the black sea bass bycatch fishery, as follows:

"It shall be unlawful for any person permitted for the by-catch fishery to possess aboard a vessel or to land in Virginia, in any one day, more than 500 pounds of black sea bass, except that any person permitted for the by-catch fishery may possess aboard a vessel or land in Virginia more than 500 pounds, but not more than 1000 pounds in any one day, provided that the total weight of black sea bass on board the vessel or landed in any one day, shall not exceed 10 percent, by weight, of all other species on board the vessel."

The provisions of the emergency regulation are effective on September 29, 2004 and will terminate on October 28, 2004, unless extended by the Commission.  The Commission proposes to extend these emergency provisions through December 31, 2004.

The following additional amendments to the regulation are proposed for the 2005 fishery.

1. Increase the directed fishery quota from 635,025 pounds to 676,952 pounds and the by-catch fishery quota from 118,764 pounds to 126,647 pounds.

2. Distribute the increased amount of directed fishery quota in equal shares to each person permitted for the directed fishery.

3. Establish a new by-catch fishery trip limit as 200 pounds or up to 10 percent of the weight of summer flounder, scup, loligo squid and Atlantic mackerel on board the vessel, whichever is greater.  The by-catch trip limit would be lowered to a maximum amount of 1000 pounds when 85 percent of the by-catch quota has been harvested, and announced as such.

4. Allow for the permanent and temporary transfer of directed fishery quota shares, with the minimum allowable transfer equal to the lowest share in the directed fishery, as of January 1.  Cap the amount of shares of directed fishery quota a vessel may hold at 20 percent.

5. Require verification of Vessel Trip Reports (VTR) when VTR's are used to determine a vessel's share of the directed fishery quota.

II.   Striped Bass Commercial Fishery

The Commission invites public comment on whether it should change the Individual Transferable Quota program from a Fish Tag (in numbers of fish)Quota to a Fish Weight (in pounds) Quota.  The commercial fishery currently is controlled, in part, by limiting each permitted fisherman to a specified number of fish that can be harvested.  The Commission will consider changing this system to one that limits each permitted fisherman to a specified weight of fish that can be harvested.

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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 DEBORAH CAWTHON (757) 247-2248 NO LATER THAN FIVE WORK DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING DATE AND IDENTIFY YOUR NEEDS.
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