Title of Regulation: 4VAC20-270. Pertaining to Crabbing (amending 4VAC20-270-40, 4VAC20-270-51, 4VAC20-270-55).

Statutory Authority: § 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.

Effective Date: July 5, 2015.

Agency Contact: Jennifer Farmer, Regulatory Coordinator, Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor, Newport News, VA 23607, telephone (757) 247-2248 or email jennifer.farmer@mrc.virginia.gov.

Summary:

The amendments (i) continue the seasonal management approach, starting the next crab management season on July 5, 2015, and ending it on July 4, 2016, and opening the commercial crab pot season on March 17 and closing the commercial crab pot season on November 30; (ii) continue the current bushel limit management measures and dates for 2015 through 2016; (iii) adjust the closure dates for the non-crab pot gear season, closing the season on September 26 instead of September 16 and reopening the non-crab pot gear season on April 21 instead of May 1; and (iv) make it unlawful for any vessel to act as both a crab harvester and a crab buyer on the same trip.

4VAC20-270-40. Season limits.

A. In 2014 2015 and 2015 2016, the lawful seasons for the commercial harvest of crabs by crab pot shall be March 17 through November 30. For all other lawful commercial gear used to harvest crabs, as described in 4VAC20-1040, the lawful seasons for the harvest of crabs shall be March 17 May 1 through September 15 25 in 2014 2015 and May 1 April 21 through November 30 in 2015 2016.

B. It shall be unlawful for any person to harvest crabs or to possess crabs on board a vessel, except during the lawful season, as described in subsection A of this section.

C. It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to place, set, fish or leave any hard crab pot in any tidal waters of Virginia from December 1, 2014 2015, through March 16, 2015 2016. It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to place, set, fish, or leave any lawful commercial gear used to harvest crabs, except any hard crab pot, in any tidal waters of Virginia from September 16, 2014 26, 2015 through April 30, 2015 20, 2016.

D. It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to place, set, fish or leave any fish pot in any tidal waters from March 12 through March 16, except as provided in subdivisions 1 and 2 of this subsection.

1. It shall be lawful for any person to place, set, or fish any fish pot in those Virginia waters located upriver of the following boundary lines:

a. In the James River the boundary shall be a line connecting Hog Point and the downstream point at the mouth of College Creek.

b. In the York River the boundary lines shall be the Route 33 bridges at West Point.

c. In the Rappahannock River the boundary line shall be the Route 360 bridge at Tappahannock.

d. In the Potomac River the boundary line shall be the Route 301 bridge that extends from Newberg, Maryland to Dahlgren, Virginia.

2. This subsection shall not apply to legally licensed eel pots as described in 4VAC20-500-50.

E. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, set, or fish any number of fish pots in excess of 10% of the amount allowed by the gear license limit, up to a maximum of 30 fish pots per vessel, when any person on that vessel has set any crab pots.

1. This subsection shall not apply to fish pots set in the areas described in subdivision D 1 of this section.

2. This subsection shall not apply to legally licensed eel pots as described in 4VAC20-500.

3. This subsection shall not apply to fish pots constructed of a mesh less than one-inch square or hexagonal mesh.

4VAC20-270-51. Daily commercial harvester, vessel, and harvest and possession limits.

A. Any barrel used by a harvester to contain or possess any amount of crabs will be equivalent in volume to no more than 3 bushels of crabs.

B. From July 5, 2014 2015, through November 15, 2014 2015, and April 1, 2015 2016, through July 4, 2015 2016, any Commercial Fisherman Registration Licensee legally licensed for any crab pot license, as described in 4VAC20-270-50 B, shall be limited to the following maximum daily harvest and possession limits, for any of the following crab pot license categories:

1. 10 bushels, or 3 barrels and 1 bushel, of crabs if licensed for up to 85 crab pots.

2. 14 bushels, or 4 barrels and 2 bushels, of crabs if licensed for up to 127 crab pots.

3. 18 bushels, or 6 barrels, of crabs if licensed for up to 170 crab pots.

4. 29 bushels, or 9 barrels and 2 bushels, of crabs if licensed for up to 255 crab pots.

5. 47 bushels, or 15 barrels and 2 bushels, of crabs if licensed for up to 425 crab pots.

C. From November 16, 2014 2015, through November 30, 2014 2015, and March 17, 2015 2016, through March 31, 2015 2016, any Commercial Fisherman Registration Licensee legally licensed for any crab pot license, as described in 4VAC20-270-50 B, shall be limited to the following maximum daily harvest and possession limits, for any of the following crab pot license categories:

1. 8 bushels, or 2 barrels and 2 bushels, of crabs if licensed for up to 85 crab pots.

2. 10 bushels, or 3 barrels and 1 bushel, of crabs if licensed for up to 127 crab pots.

3. 13 bushels, or 4 barrels and 1 bushel, of crabs if licensed for up to 170 crab pots.

4. 21 bushels, or 7 barrels, of crabs if licensed for up to 255 crab pots.

5. 27 bushels, or 9 barrels, of crabs if licensed for up to 425 crab pots.

D. When a single harvester or multiple harvesters are on board any vessel, that vessel's daily harvest and possession limit shall be equal to only one daily harvest and possession limit, as described in subsections B and C of this section, and that daily limit shall correspond to the highest harvest and possession limit of only one licensee on board that vessel.

E. When transporting or selling one or more legal crab pot licensee's crab harvest in bushels or barrels, any agent shall possess either the crab pot license of that one or more crab pot licensees or a bill of lading indicating each crab pot licensee's name, address, Commercial Fisherman Registration License number, date, and amount of bushels or barrels of crabs to be sold.

F. If any police officer finds crabs in excess of any lawful daily bushel, barrel, or vessel limit, as described in this section, that excess quantity of crabs shall be returned immediately to the water by the licensee or licensees who possess that excess over lawful daily harvest or possession limit. The refusal to return crabs, in excess of any lawful daily harvest or possession limit, to the water shall constitute a separate violation of this chapter.

G. When any person on board any boat or vessel possesses a crab pot license, it shall be unlawful for that person or any other person aboard that boat or vessel to possess a seafood buyers boat license and buy any crabs on any day.

4VAC20-270-55. Minimum size limits.

A. From March 16 17 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 measure less than 3-1/4 inches across the shell from tip to tip of the longest spikes. From July 16 through November 30, 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 measure less than 3-1/2 inches across the shell from tip to tip of the longest spikes, except as described in subsections B and C of this section.

B. From July 16 through November 30, 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 are harvested from waters on the ocean side of Accomack and Northampton counties and measure less than 3-1/4 inches across the shell from tip to tip of the longest spikes, except as described in subsection C of this section.

C. In the enforcement of these peeler crab minimum size limits aboard a vessel, the marine police officer shall select a single container of peeler crabs of his choosing to determine if the contents of that container violate the minimum size and tolerance described in this section. If the officer determines the contents of the container are in violation, then the officer shall return all peeler crabs on board the vessel to the water alive.

D. It shall be unlawful for any person to take, catch, harvest, possess, sell or offer for sale, or to destroy in any manner, any soft crab that measures less than 3-1/2 inches across the shell from tip to tip of the longest spikes.