Title of Regulation: 4VAC20-260. Pertaining to Designation of Seed Areas and Clean Cull Areas (amending 4VAC20-260-40, 4VAC20-260-50).

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

Effective Date: November 1, 2013.

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:

The amendments clarify culling tolerances and inspection procedures for oysters taken from public oyster beds, rocks, and shoals in Virginia's tidal waters as follows: (i) oysters less than the minimum cull size that are adhering so closely to the shell of any marketable oyster as to render removal impossible without destroying the oysters less than the minimum cull size, need not be removed, but shall be considered part of the culling tolerance during inspection; and (ii) for any oysters transferred from the culling board to one or more baskets, any police officer may select one or more baskets of oysters and empty the contents of those baskets into a bushel container for inspection.

4VAC20-260-40. Culling tolerances or standards.

A. In the clean cull areas, if more than a four-quart measure of any combined quantity of oysters less than three inches and shells of any size are found in any bushel inspected by a any police officer, it shall constitute a violation of this chapter, except as described in subsection E of 4VAC20-260-30 E.

B. In the James River seed areas, if more than a six-quart measure of shells is found in any bushel of seed oysters inspected by a any police officer, it shall constitute a violation of this chapter.

C. In the James River seed areas, if more than a four-quart measure of any combined quantity of oysters less than three inches and shells of any size are found in any bushel of clean cull oysters inspected by a any police officer, it shall constitute a violation of this chapter.

D. From the seaside of the Eastern Shore, if more than a four-quart measure of any combined quantity of oysters less than three inches and shells of any size are found per bushel of clean cull oysters inspected by a any police officer, it shall constitute a violation of this chapter.

E. Any oysters less than the minimum cull size or any amount of shell that exceeds the culling standard shall be returned immediately to the natural beds, rocks, or shoals from where they were taken.

F. Oysters less than the minimum cull size that are attached adhering so closely on to the shell of a any marketable oyster as to render removal impossible without destroying the oysters less than the minimum cull size need not be removed but shall be considered part of the culling tolerance during inspection.

4VAC20-260-50. Culling and inspection procedures.

A. All oysters taken from natural public beds, rocks, or shoals shall be placed on the culling board, or in only one basket upon the culling board, and culled by hand at the location of harvest.

1. Culled oysters shall be transferred immediately from the culling board to either the inside open part of the boat, a loose pile, or baskets, but only one transfer method may be used on any boat or vessel in any one day.

a. Oysters shall not be stored in both a loose pile and in baskets.

b. A single basket may be on board any boat during transfer of culled oysters from the culling board to the inside open part of the boat in a loose pile.

2. The entire harvest shall be subject to inspection, as provided in subsection F of this section.

B. Any oysters taken lawfully by hand from natural public beds, rocks, or shoals from the seaside of the Eastern Shore, and held in sacks, bags, or containers, shall be culled when taken and placed in those sacks, bags, or containers for inspection by any police officer as described in subsection G of this section.

C. If oysters from leased grounds and oysters from public grounds are mixed in the same cargo on a boat or motor vehicle, the entire cargo shall be subject to inspection under this chapter.

D. All oysters taken from public grounds shall be sold or purchased in the regular oyster one-half bushel or one bushel measure as described in § 28.2-526 of the Code of Virginia, or the alternate container described in subsection E of this section; except that on the seaside of the Eastern Shore oysters may be sold without being measured if both the buyer and the seller agree to the number of bushels of oysters in the transaction.

E. An alternate container produced by North Machine Shop in Mathews, Virginia, may be used for measuring oysters to be sold or purchased. The dimensions of this metallic cylindrical container shall be 18.5 inches inside diameter and 11 inches inside height.

F. Oysters may be inspected by any police officer according to any one of the following provisions:

1. For any oysters transferred from the culling board to the inside open part of the boat, vehicle, or trailer, or a loose pile, any police officer may use a shovel to take at least one bushel of oysters to inspect, at random, provided that the entire bushel shall be taken from one place in the open pile of oysters.

2. For any oysters transferred from the culling board to one or more baskets, any police officer may select one or more baskets of oysters, and empty the contents of those baskets in a loose pile and use a shovel to take, at random, at least one bushel of oysters for inspection into a bushel container, as described in § 28.2-526 of the Code of Virginia, for inspection.

G. In the inspection of oysters harvested by hand from waters of the seaside of the Eastern Shore, the police officer may select any sacks, bags, or containers at random to establish a full metallic measuring bushel for purposes of inspection.