Virginia Administrative Code

A. In 2026, the lawful season for the commercial harvest of crabs by hard crab pot shall be March 17 through December 19. In 2027, the lawful season for the commercial harvest of crabs by hard crab pot shall be March 17 through November 30. For all other lawful commercial gear us…

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, set or fish or attempt to place, set or fish more than 210 peeler crab pots in Virginia tidal waters. B. The lawful hard crab pot license categories and hard crab pot limits are as follows: 1. Up to 85 crab pots. 2. Up to 127 crab …

A. Any barrel used by a harvester to contain or possess any amount of crabs will be equivalent in volume to no more than three bushels of crabs. B. From July 5, 2026, through October 31, 2026, and May 16, 2027, through July 4, 2027, any commercial fisherman registration licensee …

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to use any gear, except hard crab pots or peeler pots, to harvest crabs from the waters of Back Bay and North Landing River or within the jurisdiction of the Albemarle and Currituck watersheds as described in § 28.2-101 of the Code of Virgin…

A. From the beginning of the season as described in 4VAC20-270-40 through July 15, it shall be unlawful for any person to harvest, possess, sell, or offer for sale more than 10 peeler crabs, per United States standard bushel, or 5.0% of peeler crabs in any other container, that m…

It shall be unlawful to take by using an unlicensed dip net or hand line, or two crab pots, or to harvest or possess for personal use aboard any vessel, more than one bushel of hard crabs or two dozen peeler crabs per day. Statutory Authority§ 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.

In accordance with the provisions of § 28.2-707 of the Code of Virginia, the crab dredging season of December 1, 2027, through March 31, 2027, is closed, and it shall be unlawful to use a dredge for catching crabs from the waters of the Commonwealth during that season.Statutory A…

(Repealed.)

As set forth in § 28.2-903 of the Code of Virginia, any person violating any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor, and a second or subsequent violation of any provision of this chapter committed by the same person within 12 months of a prior violatio…

The purpose of this chapter is to protect and rebuild the spawning stocks of speckled trout , minimizing the possibility of recruitment failure, and to increase yield in their fisheries.Statutory Authority§ 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.

The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. "Fishing year" means the time period from September 1 of the current calendar year through August 31 of the following calendar year. "Snout"…

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to take, catch, or possess any speckled trout less than 14 inches in total length, except that the catch of speckled trout by pound net or haul seine may consist of up to 5.0%, by weight, of speckled trout less than 14 inches in total length…

(Repealed.)

A. For each fishing year the directed commercial landings quota of speckled trout shall be limited to 51,104 pounds. B. When the commission announces that the directed commercial landings quota has been reached, it shall be unlawful for any commercial fisherman registration licen…

Any licensed seafood buyer who purchases speckled trout shall report daily purchases in pounds using the commission's interactive voice recording system on the day of purchase from August 1 to November 30, except when the commission announces that the directed commercial landings…

Pursuant to § 28.2-903 of the Code of Virginia, any person violating any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor, and a second or subsequent violation of any provision of this chapter committed by the same person within 12 months of a prior violation is…

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the proper manner and method of marking leased oyster planting ground during such times when the ground is required to be marked or for such other instances when a lessee may desire to mark the ground. Statutory Authority§§ 28.2-201 and …

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Active work areas" means those areas inside a lease where active planting or active harvesting is being conducted, or in areas where aquacult…

Leased oyster planting ground can be marked at any time and shall be marked if the oyster planting ground is being actively planted or harvested or when aquaculture structures are present on the lease. No active planting upon or harvesting from the lease shall be authorized unles…

A. Marking requirements. When leased oyster planting ground is marked, the corners and boundary lines or the active works areas within the lease shall be marked with markers or buoys and shall be marked in a manner that does not create any unnecessary restriction to navigation. 1…

When oyster planting ground is marked, suitable stakes or markers shall be kept by the lessee in their proper places at all times so as to conform accurately to the original boundary survey any condemnation line within the lease, or to accurately mark the active work areas within…

It shall be unlawful for any person to intentionally or knowingly injure, remove, or displace any boundary oyster stake, range monument, signal beacon, post, or buoy, or any part thereof, erected to designate, locate, survey, or map shellfish grounds other than the leaseholder, h…

The chief engineer may approve an alternative plan for the proper marking of any oyster planting ground boundary or active work area upon request by the lessee when he finds exceptional circumstances exist. In such a case the chief engineer shall direct the leaseholder where to p…

As set forth in § 28.2-903 of the Code of Virginia, any person violating any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor, and a second or subsequent violation of any provision of this chapter committed by the same person within 12 months of a prior violatio…

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

The purpose of this chapter is to protect the public health and to ensure that Virginia complies with the National Shellfish Sanitation Program. Statutory Authority§§ 28.2-201 and 28.2-801 of the Code of Virginia.

The following term when used in this chapter shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Seed-stock shellfish" means those wild and cultured shellfish that are at least six months from marketing for human consumption. Statutory Authority§§ 28…

A. Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the harvesting, transporting, or handling of wild and cultured seed-stock shellfish from condemned areas. B. It shall be unlawful for any person to relay molluscan shellfish by use of any container or cage except in compliance with the re…

A. On-bottom container size shall not exceed four feet by four feet by one foot. B. On-bottom containers shall not be solid walled, but shall be constructed of a mesh material of sufficient size not to restrict water flow. 1. Mesh size shall not be less than one inch measured dia…

A. Floating container size shall not exceed two feet by eight feet by one foot. B. Floating containers shall not be solid walled, but shall be constructed of a mesh material of sufficient size not to restrict water flow. 1. Mesh size shall not be less than one inch measured diago…

A. Areas where any container is to be relayed for commercial purposes shall be clearly marked and easily identified as required in § 28.2-818 of the Code of Virginia. B. Landing of polluted shellfish, loading of vehicles and containers, and container deployment and harvest shall …

A. Commercial harvest to be sold for public consumption. 1. Any relay container shall remain in the relaying area for a minimum of 15 days in water temperatures above 50%90F and in salinities sufficient to assure effective cleansing through active pumping. If a relay area is clos…

The season for the removal or relaying of shellfish from private grounds shall be February 1 to November 1. Statutory Authority§§ 28.2-201 and 28.2-801 of the Code of Virginia.

As set forth in § 28.2-903 of the Code of Virginia, any person violating any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor, and a second or subsequent violation of this chapter committed by the same person within 12 months of a prior violation is a Class 1 mi…

The purpose of this chapter is to cap the harvest of black drum. A management area with time restrictions is also designated to reduce conflicts between recreational and commercial fishermen that concentrate on drum fishing grounds in the Lower Bay. The chapter also provides for …

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. "Black Drum" means any fish of the species Pogonias cromis. "COLREGS Line" means the COLREGS Demarcation Lines, as specified in Coastal Pilot,…

During any calendar year, the total allowable sum of commercial harvest of black drum from Virginia tidal waters shall be 120,000 pounds of whole fish. At such time as the total harvest of black drum reaches 120,000 pounds, it shall be unlawful for any person to take, catch, or l…

A. It shall be unlawful for any person using hook and line, rod and reel, or hand line to take or catch from Virginia tidal waters more than one black drum per day. Any black drum taken after the possession limit of one has been reached shall be returned to the water immediately.…

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, set, or fish gill nets or trotlines from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. of each day for the period of May 1 to June 7, dates inclusive, in the southeastern portion of the Chesapeake Bay in the area bounded by a line drawn from the Cape Charle…

It shall be unlawful for any person to take, catch, or possess any black drum less than 16 inches in total length. Statutory Authority§§ 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.

A. Any registered commercial fisherman who is permitted to harvest black drum in accordance with 4VAC20-320-70 A and sets or fishes any gill net east of the COLREGS Line and north of the North Carolina-Virginia border and south of the Maryland-Virginia border in Virginia waters, …