Title of Regulation: 4VAC20-620. Pertaining to Summer Flounder (adding 4VAC20-620-75).

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

Effective Date: September 28, 2009.

Agency Contact: Jane Warren, 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:

The amendment provides that the possession of Summer Flounder tagged by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science shall not apply to the personal recreational possession limit of five Summer Flounder or the 19-inch minimum size limit. It further makes it unlawful for any person to remove either type of tag from any Summer Flounder.

4VAC20-620-75. Research exemptions to possession and size limits.

Nothing in this chapter shall preclude any person who is legally eligible to fish from possessing any Summer Flounder tagged by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) with two different types of tags in each of 260 Summer Flounder. One tag is a white data recording tag of 1/2-inch diameter and 1-1/2 inches in length that VIMS affixed to the Summer Flounder. That tag is inscribed with "VIMS $200 reward" and the VIMS telephone contact number. The second tag is a yellow "T-bar" or "spaghetti" type tag that VIMS affixed to the dorsal area of these double-tagged Summer Flounder. The yellow T-bar tag is inscribed with "reward" and the VIMS contact telephone number. Possession of these VIMS-tagged Summer Flounder shall not count towards the personal recreational possession limit of five Summer Flounder, 19 inches or greater in total length. Possession of any undersized flounder that has any affixed VIMS tag, as described above, shall not constitute a violation of the minimum size limit of 19 inches in total length. It shall be unlawful for any person to remove either type of tag from any caught or harvested Summer Flounder without having contacted VIMS. It shall be unlawful for any person to retain any of these VIMS-tagged Summer Flounder for a period of time that is longer than necessary to provide the VIMS-tagged Summer Flounder to a VIMS representative. Under no circumstances shall any VIMS-tagged flounder be stored for future use or sale or delivered to any person who is not a VIMS representative.