Seal

REGULATIONS
Vol. 42 Iss. 16 - March 23, 2026

TITLE 4. CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES
MARINE RESOURCES COMMISSION
Chapter 720
Emergency

TITLE 4. CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES

MARINE RESOURCES COMMISSION

Emergency Regulation

Title of Regulation: 4VAC20-720. Pertaining to Restrictions on Oyster Harvest (amending 4VAC20-720-10, 4VAC20-720-40).

Statutory Authority: § 28.2-210 of the Code of Virginia.

Effective Dates: March 1, 2026, through March 15, 2026.

Agency Contact: Benjamin Foster, Regulatory Coordinator, Marine Resources Commission, 380 Fenwick Road, Fort Monroe, VA 23651, telephone (757) 709-9277, or email benjamin.foster@mrc.virginia.gov.

Preamble:

In response to lower-than-anticipated harvest effort resulting from poor market conditions and inclement weather, the amendments adjust the public oyster harvest season in Rappahannock River Area 8 and extend the public oyster harvest season in Pocomoke and Tangier Sound Rotation Area 1.

4VAC20-720-10. Purpose.

The purpose of this emergency chapter is to conserve Virginia's oyster resources, especially oyster broodstock.

4VAC20-720-40. Open oyster harvest season, harvest areas, and harvest limits.

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to harvest oysters from public and unassigned grounds, except within the dates and areas and with the harvest gears set forth in this section.

B. It shall be unlawful to harvest clean cull oysters from the public oyster grounds and unassigned grounds, except within the seasons and areas and with the harvest gears as described in Table 1 in this subsection.

It shall be unlawful to exceed the daily individual bushel harvest limit or the daily vessel bushel limit of clean cull oysters in Table 1 in this subsection.

Table 1

Clean Cull Oyster Harvest Area, Harvest Dates, Harvest Gear, and Daily Bushel Limits

Harvest Area

Harvest Dates

Harvest Gear

Daily Individual Bushel Limit

Daily Vessel Bushel Limit

Great Wicomico River Rotation Area 1

December 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025

Hand Scrape

8

16

Great Wicomico River Rotation Area 2

January 1, 2026, through January 31, 2026

Hand Scrape

8

16

James River Areas 1, 2, and 3

October 15, 2025, through March 31, 2026

Hand Scrape

8

16

Mobjack Bay Area

February 1, 2026, through March 15, 2026

Hand Scrape

8

16

Piankatank River Area

February 1, 2026, through March 15, 2026

Hand Scrape

8

16

Pocomoke Sound Area Public Ground 10

February 16, 2026, through February 28, 2026

Hand Scrape

8

16

Rappahannock River Area 7

December 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025

Hand Scrape

8

16

Rappahannock River Area 8

January March 1, 2026, through January 31 March 15, 2026

Hand Scrape

8

16

Rappahannock River Rotation Area 2

February 1, 2026, through March 15, 2026

Hand Scrape

8

16

Rappahannock River Rotation Area 4

October 15, 2025, through November 30, 2025

Hand Scrape

8

16

Upper Chesapeake Bay - Blackberry Hangs Area

February 1, 2026, through March 15, 2026

Hand Scrape

8

16

White Shoal

November 1, 2025, through February 28, 2026

Hand Scrape

8

16

Corrotoman Hand Tong Area

October 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026

Hand Tong

14

28

Indian Creek

October 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026

Hand Tong

14

28

James River Seed Area, including the Deep Water Shoal State Replenishment Seed Area

October 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026

Hand Tong

14

28

James River Areas 1, 2, and 3

October 1, 2025, through October 14, 2025, and April 1, 2026, through May 31, 2026

Hand Tong

14

28

Little Wicomico River

October 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025

Hand Tong

14

28

Milford Haven

December 1, 2025, through February 28, 2026

Hand Tong

14

28

Mobjack Bay Area

October 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026

Hand Tong

14

28

Nomini Creek ­Area

October 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025

Hand Tong

14

28

Piankatank River Area

October 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026

Hand Tong

14

28

Pocomoke Sound Area Public Ground 10

October 1, 2025, through February 15, 2026, and March 1, 2026, through March 31, 2026

Hand Tong

14

28

Pocomoke Sound Hand Tong Area

October 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026

Hand Tong

14

28

Rappahannock River Area 9

October 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026

Hand Tong

14

28

White Shoal

October 1, 2025, through October 31, 2025, and March 1, 2026, through May 31, 2026

Hand Tong

14

28

York River Hand Tong Area

October 1, 2025, through March 15, 2026

Hand Tong

14

28

York River Rotation Areas 1 and 2

October 1, 2025, through March 15, 2026

Hand Tong

14

28

Pocomoke and Tangier Sound Rotation Area 1

December 1, 2025, through February 28 March 15, 2026

Oyster Dredge

8

16

Thorofare

November 15, 2025, through November 30, 2025

Oyster Dredge

8

16

Deep Rock Area and Chesapeake Bay Patent Tong Area

November 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026

Patent Tong

8

16

Seaside Eastern Shore

November 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026

By Hand or Hand Tong

14

28

C. It shall be unlawful to harvest seed oysters from the public oyster grounds or unassigned grounds, except within the dates and areas and with the harvest gears described in Table 2 in this subsection.

Table 2.

Seed Oyster Harvest Area, Harvest Dates, and Harvest Gear

Harvest Area

Harvest Dates

Harvest Gear

James River Seed Area, including the Deep Water Shoal State Replenishment Seed Area

October 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026

Hand Tong

D. In the Pocomoke and Tangier Sounds Rotation Areas, it shall be unlawful to possess on board any vessel more than 250 hard clams.

E. It shall be unlawful to possess any blue crabs on board any vessel with an oyster scrape or oyster dredge.

F. It shall be unlawful for any person or vessel to harvest clean cull oysters with more than one gear type in any single day from the public oyster grounds or unassigned grounds in the waters of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

VA.R. Doc. No. R26-8590; Filed February 26, 2026