Title of Regulation: 4VAC20-1120. Pertaining to Tilefish and Grouper (amending 4VAC20-1120-30).

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

Effective Date: February 1, 2018.

Agency Contact: Jennifer Farmer, Regulatory Coordinator, Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor, Newport News, VA 23607, telephone (757) 247-2248, or email jennifer.farmer@mrc.virginia.gov.

Summary:

The amendments establish the recreational harvest and possession limit for golden tilefish as eight fish.

4VAC20-1120-30. Recreational harvest and possession limit.

A. The recreational harvest, landing and possession limit for tilefish, as described in 4VAC20-1120-20, shall be seven fish. It shall be unlawful for any person to fishing recreationally harvest, land or to possess or land more than seven eight golden tilefish within or without in Virginia tidal waters. When fishing from any boat or vessel where the entire catch is held in a common hold or container, the possession limit for tilefish shall be for the boat or vessel and shall be equal to the number of persons on board legally eligible to fish multiplied by seven. The captain or operator of the boat or vessel shall be responsible for any boat or vessel possession limits.

B. The recreational harvest, landing, and possession limit for grouper, as described in 4VAC20-1120-20, shall be one fish. It shall be unlawful for any person to recreationally harvest, land, or possess more than one grouper within or without Virginia tidal waters. When fishing from any boat or vessel where the entire catch is held in a common hold or container, the possession limit for grouper shall be for the boat or vessel and shall be equal to the number of persons on board legally eligible to fish multiplied by one. The captain or operator of the boat or vessel shall be responsible for any boat or vessel possession limits.

C. When fishing recreationally from any boat or vessel, where the entire catch is held in a common hold or container, the boat or vessel possession limit for any species described in subsection A or B of this section shall be equal to the sum of the personal possession limits, as described in subsection A or B of this section, of those persons on board legally eligible to fish. The captain or operator of the boat or vessel shall be responsible for any boat or vessel possession limits.