Title of Regulation: 4VAC20-270. Pertaining to Crabbing (amending 4VAC20-270-30, 4VAC20-270-40, 4VAC20-270-51, 4VAC20-270-55).

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

Effective Date: November 21, 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 (i) extend the 2013 crab pot season for female and male crabs to December 15, 2013; (ii) establish a 2014 male and female blue crab peeler pot and crab pot season that begins March 17, 2014, and ends November 30, 2014; and (iii) establish 2014 conservation equivalency measures through crab pot, license-category specific, and daily harvest and possession bushel and barrel limits.

4VAC20-270-30. Daily time limits.

A. It shall be unlawful for any person licensed to catch and sell crabs taken by crab pot or peeler pot to take and harvest crabs from any crab pot or peeler pot, or to retrieve, bait, or set any crab pot or peeler pot, except during the lawful daily time periods described in this subsection or subsection C or D subsections A, B, C, and D of this section. The lawful daily time periods for the commercial harvesting of crabs by crab pot or peeler pot shall be from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. from March 17 through April 30 and in 2013 and 2014, September 1 through December 15, 2012 2013, and September 1 through November 30, 2014, except as described in subsection subsections B and E, C, and D of this section, and. The lawful daily time periods for the commercial harvesting of crabs by crab pot or peeler pot shall be from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the months of May, June, July, and August in 2013 and 2014, except as specified in subsection subsections B, C or, and D of this section. Crab pots or peeler pots already on board a boat at the end of the lawful daily time period, as defined in this subsection or subsection subsections A, B, and C or D of this section, may be set during the period starting immediately following the end of lawful daily time period and ending to one hour after the lawful daily time period ends.

B. The lawful daily time periods for the commercial harvesting of crabs by crab pot or peeler pot in 2013 shall begin March 16 and end November 30, with the lawful daily time periods described in subsection A of this section in effect for March 16 through November 30, 2013.

C. B. Any licensed crab pot or peeler pot fisherman who provides an opinion and supporting documentation from an attending physician to the commissioner of an existing medical condition that prevents him from adhering to the daily time limit established in subsection A of this section may be permitted by the commissioner or his designee to take and harvest crabs from his crab pot or peeler pot, or to retrieve, bait, or set his crab pot or peeler pot during an alternate eight-hour daily time limit. That alternative eight-hour daily time limit will be prescribed by the commissioner or his designee in accordance with the medical condition that forms a basis for the exception to the daily time limit as described in subsection A of this section.

Nothing in this regulation shall prohibit any licensed crab pot or peeler pot fisherman, who has been granted an exception to the eight-hour work schedule, on a medical basis, from using another licensed crab pot or peeler pot fisherman as a mate; provided, however, during the designated alternate work hours, only the crab pots or peeler pots of the fisherman receiving the exception shall be fished. Further, it shall be unlawful for the licensed crab fisherman, who has been granted an exception, or his mate, who is a licensed crab pot or peeler pot fisherman, to fish, set, retrieve, or bait, during the alternate work hours, any crab pot or peeler pot that is not owned and licensed by the fisherman granted the exception.

D. C. Any licensed crab pot or peeler pot fisherman who requests and obtains an alternate eight-hour daily time limit permit shall be authorized to take and harvest crabs from his crab pot or peeler pot or to retrieve, bait, or set his crab pot or peeler pot one hour earlier than described in subsection A of this section, only for the months of June, July, August, and September. During the months of March, April, May, October, and November, and from December 1 through December 15, 2012 2013, the lawful daily time period described in subsection A of this section applies to any crab pot or peeler pot licensee. The alternate lawful daily time periods for the commercial harvesting of crabs by crab pot or peeler pot shall be from 4 a.m. to 12 noon from June 1 through August 31 and from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. from September 1 through September 30. Individuals must apply for this permit on an annual basis and shall adhere to the alternate daily time limit from the day the permit is issued through September 30, as well as subdivisions 1, 2, and 3 of this subsection.

1. It shall be unlawful for two or more licensed crab pot or peeler pot fishermen, or their agents, to crab aboard the same vessel if their authorized eight-hour daily time limits are not identical.

2. After January 1, 2012, requests for an alternate eight-hour time limit permit shall be submitted to the Marine Resources Commission annually and prior to May 15. Requests submitted on or after May 15 will not be considered.

3. Once any legal crab pot or peeler pot licensee obtains an alternate eight-hour daily time limit permit, that permittee shall be legally bound by the alternate eight-hour daily time limit as described in this subsection.

E. D. The lawful daily time periods for the commercial harvest of crabs by crab pot or peeler pot may be rescinded by the Commissioner of Marine Resources when he determines that a pending weather event is sufficient cause for the removal of crab pots from the tidal waters of the Commonwealth.

4VAC20-270-40. Season limits.

A. The lawful season seasons for the harvest of male crabs shall be March 17 through December 15, 2012 2013, and March 16 17 through November 30, 2013 2014. The lawful season seasons for the harvest of female crabs shall be March 17 through December 15, 2012 2013, and March 16 17 through November 20 30, 2013 2014.

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 or peeler crab pot in any tidal waters of Virginia from December 16, 2012 2013, through March 15 16, 2013 2014.

D. It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to place, set, fish or leave any fish pot in any tidal waters from March 11 through March 15 16, 2013 2014, 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 lawful eel pots as described in 4VAC20-500-50.

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 March 16, 2013, through November 30, 2013, any harvester Commercial Fisherman Registration Licensee legally licensed for a any crab pot license, as defined described in 4VAC20-270-50 B, shall be limited to the following maximum daily harvest and possession limits shown below, for any of the following crab pot license categories:

1. 27 bushels, or 9 barrels, of crabs, if licensed for up to 85 crab pots.

2. 32 bushels, or 10 barrels and 2 bushels, of crabs, if licensed for up to 127 crab pots.

3. 38 bushels, or 12 barrels and 2 bushels, of crabs, if licensed for up to 170 crab pots.

4. 45 bushels, or 15 barrels, of crabs, if licensed for up to 255 crab pots.

5. 55 bushels, or 18 barrels and 1 bushel, of crabs, if licensed for up to 425 crab pots.

C. From December 1 through December 15, 2013, and March 17 through November 30, 2014, 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. 16 bushels, or 5 barrels and 1 bushel, of crabs, if licensed for up to 85 crab pots.

2. 21 bushels, or 7 barrels, of crabs, if licensed for up to 127 crab pots.

3. 27 bushels, or 9 barrels, of crabs, if licensed for up to 170 crab pots.

4. 43 bushels, or 14 barrels and 1 bushel, of crabs, if licensed for up to 255 crab pots.

5. 55 bushels, or 18 barrels and 1 bushel, of crabs, if licensed for up to 425 crab pots.

C. 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 4VAC20-270-51 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.

D. 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.

E. 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.

4VAC20-270-55. Minimum size limits.

A. From March 16 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 December 15, 2012 2013, and July 16 through November 30, 2013 2014, 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 December 15, 2012 2013, and July 16 through November 30, 2013 2014, 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.