TITLE 4. CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Final Regulation
REGISTRAR'S NOTICE: The Marine Resources Commission is claiming an exemption from the Administrative Process Act in accordance with § 2.2-4006 A 11 of the Code of Virginia; however, the commission is required to publish the full text of final regulations.
Title of Regulation: 4VAC20-1270. Pertaining to Atlantic Menhaden (amending 4VAC20-1270-30, 4VAC20-1270-50).
Statutory Authority: § 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.
Effective Date: January 1, 2015.
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 modify the reference years for the total allowable landing requirements for Atlantic menhaden.
4VAC20-1270-30. Total allowable landings for menhaden; allocation, accountability, and overages.
A. Section 28.2-400.2 of the Code of Virginia establishes the total allowable commercial landings for menhaden in 2013 2015 and 2014 2016 in metric tons equivalent to 318,067,167 pounds, and that total amount of allowable landings shall be allocated as quotas among three sectors of the menhaden fishery, as described below, pursuant to § 28.2-400.3 of the Code of Virginia. The purse seine menhaden reduction sector is allocated a quota of 286,396,768 pounds of allowable menhaden landings; the purse seine menhaden bait sector a 26,648,870 pound quota of allowable menhaden landings; and the nonpurse seine menhaden bait sector a 5,021,529 pound quota of allowable menhaden landings.
B. Any menhaden landings on and after January 1, 2013, count towards that particular sector's 2013 commercial quota.
C. Any overages of a sector's commercial quota shall be deducted from the following year's quota for that sector.
4VAC20-1270-50. Nonpurse seine menhaden bait sector quota; allocation and bycatch provisions.
A. For 2013 2015 and 2014 2016, the nonpurse seine commercial bait sector's allocation shall be by gear type as follows:
| 1. Cast net: | 1,930 pounds. |
| 2. Dredge: | 3,069 pounds. |
| 3. Fyke net: | 2,115 pounds. |
| 4. Gill net: | 1,521,108 pounds. |
| 5. Hook and line: | 234 pounds. |
| 6. Pot: | 2,064 pounds. |
| 7. Pound net: | 3,412,020 pounds. |
| 8. Seine: | 20,103 pounds. |
| 9. Trawl: | 58,847 pounds. |
| 10. Trot line: | 39 pounds. |
B. Pursuant to § 28.2-400.4 of the Code of Virginia, once the commissioner announces the date of closure for the nonpurse seine bait fishery, any person licensed in the nonpurse seine menhaden bait sector may possess and land up to 6,000 pounds of menhaden per day.
VA.R. Doc. No. R15-4232; Filed December 17, 2014, 9:54 a.m.