Title of Regulation: 4VAC20-620. Pertaining to Summer Flounder (amending 4VAC20-620-30, 4VAC20-620-40).

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

Effective Date: November 30, 2009.

Agency Contact: Jane Warren, Agency Regulatory Coordinator, Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor, Newport News, VA 23607, telephone (757) 247-2248, FAX (757) 247-2002, or email betty.warren@mrc.virginia.gov.

Summary:

These amendments (i) open the late season offshore summer flounder fishery on the last Monday in November and establish a 7,500-pound Virginia landing limit for that season; (ii) lower the early season vessel landing limit in Virginia to 7,500 pounds; and (iii) lower the vessel possession limit to 15,000 pounds for early and late seasons.

4VAC20-620-30. Commercial harvest quota and allowable landings.

A. During each calendar year, allowable commercial landings of Summer Flounder shall be limited to a quota in total pounds calculated pursuant to the joint Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council/Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan, as approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service on August 6, 1992 (50 CFR Part 625); and shall be distributed as described in subsections B through G of this section.

B. The commercial harvest of Summer Flounder from Virginia tidal waters for each calendar year shall be limited to 300,000 pounds of the annual quota described in subsection A of this section. Of this amount, 142,114 pounds shall be set aside for Chesapeake Bay-wide harvest.

C. From the first Monday in January through the day preceding the first last Monday in December November allowable landings of Summer Flounder harvested outside of Virginia shall be limited to an amount of pounds equal to 70.7% of the quota described in subsection A of this section after deducting the amount specified in subsection B of this section.

D. From the first last Monday in December November through December 31, allowable landings of Summer Flounder harvested outside of Virginia shall be limited to an amount of pounds equal to 29.3% of the quota, as described in subsection A of this section, after deducting the amount specified in subsection B of this section, and as may be further modified by subsection E.

E. Should landings from the first Monday in January through the day preceding the first last Monday in December November exceed or fall short of 70.7% of the quota described in subsection A of this section, any such excess shall be deducted from allowable landings described in subsection D of this section, and any such shortage shall be added to the allowable landings as described in subsection D of this section. Should the commercial harvest specified in subsection B of this section be projected as less than 300,000 pounds, any such shortage shall be added to the allowable landings described in subsection D of this section.

F. The Marine Resources Commission will give timely notice to the industry of the calculated poundages and any adjustments to any allowable landings described in subsections C and D of this section. It shall be unlawful for any person to harvest or to land Summer Flounder for commercial purposes after the commercial harvest or any allowable landings as described in this section have been attained and announced as such. If any person lands Summer Flounder after the commercial harvest or any allowable landing have been attained and announced as such, the entire amount of Summer Flounder in that person's possession shall be confiscated.

G. It shall be unlawful for any buyer of seafood to receive any Summer Flounder after any commercial harvest or landing quota as described in this section has been attained and announced as such.

4VAC20-620-40. Commercial vessel possession and landing limitations.

A. From January 1 through the day preceding the last Monday in February, it shall be unlawful for any person harvesting Summer Flounder outside of Virginia's waters to possess aboard any vessel in Virginia any amount of Summer Flounder in excess of 10% by weight of all other landed species on board the vessel.

B. From the last Monday in February through the day preceding the first last Monday in December November, it shall be unlawful for any person harvesting Summer Flounder outside of Virginia waters to do any of the following:

1. Possess aboard any vessel in Virginia waters any amount of Summer Flounder in excess of 25,000 15,000 pounds.

2. Land Summer Flounder in Virginia for commercial purposes more than twice during each consecutive 12-day period, with the first 12-day period beginning on the last Monday in February.

3. Land in Virginia more than 12,500 7,500 pounds of Summer Flounder during each consecutive 12-day period, with the first 12-day period beginning on the last Monday in February.

4. Land in Virginia any amount of Summer Flounder more than once in any consecutive five-day period.

5. Possess aboard any vessel in Virginia any amount of Summer Flounder, in excess of 10%, by weight, of all other landed species on board the vessel once it has been projected and announced that 85% of the allowable landings have been taken. The Marine Resources Commission will give timely notice of any changes in possession limits.

C. From the first last Monday in December November through December 31 of each year, it shall be unlawful for any person harvesting Summer Flounder outside of Virginia waters to do any of the following:

1. Possess aboard any vessel in Virginia waters any amount of Summer Flounder in excess of 20,000 15,000 pounds.

2. Land Summer Flounder in Virginia for commercial purposes more than twice during each consecutive 12-day period, with the first 12-day period beginning on the first last Monday in December November.

3. Land in Virginia more than a total of 10,000 7,500 pounds of Summer Flounder during each consecutive 12-day period, with the first 12-day period beginning on the first last Monday in December November.

4. Land in Virginia any amount of Summer Flounder more than once in any consecutive five-day period.

5. Possess aboard any vessel in Virginia any amount of Summer Flounder, in excess of 10%, by weight, of all other landed species on board the vessel once it has been projected and announced that 85% of the allowable landings described in 4VAC20-620-30 D have been taken, except as described in subdivision 6 of this subsection. The Marine Resources Commission will give timely notice of any changes in possession limits.

6. Possess aboard any vessel in Virginia any amount of Summer Flounder once it has projected and announced that 100% of the quota described in 4VAC20-620-30 A, has been taken.

D. Upon request by a marine police officer, the seafood buyer or processor shall offload and accurately determine the total weight of all Summer Flounder aboard any vessel landing Summer Flounder in Virginia.

E. Any possession limit described in this section shall be determined by the weight in pounds of Summer Flounder as customarily packed, boxed and weighed by the seafood buyer or processor. The weight of any Summer Flounder in pounds found in excess of any possession limit described in this section shall be prima facie evidence of violation of this chapter. Persons in possession of Summer Flounder aboard any vessel in excess of the possession limit shall be in violation of this chapter unless that vessel has requested and been granted safe harbor. Any buyer or processor offloading or accepting any quantity of Summer Flounder from any vessel in excess of the possession limit shall be in violation of this chapter, except as described by subsection H of this section. A buyer or processor may accept or buy Summer Flounder from a vessel that has secured safe harbor, provided that vessel has satisfied the requirements described in subsection H of this section.

F. If a person violates the possession limits described in this section, the entire amount of Summer Flounder in that person's possession shall be confiscated. Any confiscated Summer Flounder shall be considered as a removal from the appropriate commercial harvest or landings quota. Upon confiscation, the marine police officer shall inventory the confiscated Summer Flounder and, at a minimum, secure two bids for purchase of the confiscated Summer Flounder from approved and licensed seafood buyers. The confiscated fish will be sold to the highest bidder and all funds derived from such sale shall be deposited for the Commonwealth pending court resolution of the charge of violating the possession limits established by this chapter. All of the collected funds will be returned to the accused upon a finding of innocence or forfeited to the Commonwealth upon a finding of guilty.

G. It shall be unlawful for a licensed seafood buyer or federally permitted seafood buyer to fail to contact the Marine Resources Commission Operation Station prior to a vessel offloading Summer Flounder harvested outside of Virginia. The buyer shall provide to the Marine Resources Commission the name of the vessel, its captain, an estimate of the amount in pounds of Summer Flounder on board that vessel, and the anticipated or approximate offloading time. Once offloading of any vessel is complete and the weight of the landed Summer Flounder has been determined, the buyer shall contact the Marine Resources Commission Operations Station and report the vessel name and corresponding weight of Summer Flounder landed. It shall be unlawful for any person to offload from a boat or vessel for commercial purposes any Summer Flounder during the period of 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.

H. Any boat or vessel that has entered Virginia waters for safe harbor shall only offload Summer Flounder when the state that licenses that vessel requests to transfer quota to Virginia, in the amount that corresponds to that vessel's possession limit, and the commissioner agrees to accept that transfer of quota.

I. After any commercial harvest or landing quota as described in 4VAC20-620-30 has been attained and announced as such, any boat or vessel possessing Summer Flounder on board may enter Virginia waters for safe harbor but shall contact the Marine Resources Commission Operation Center in advance of such entry into Virginia waters.