Our Mission: The Marine Resources Commission serves as stewards of Virginia's marine and aquatic resources, and protectors of its tidal waters and homelands, for present and future generations.
Did You Know?
The Marine Resources Commission is a State Agency with approximately 150 Employees. We are
headquartered in Newport News, Virginia and have been established since
1875.
We are comprised of four divisions: Marine Police, Fisheries
Management, Habitat Management, and Administration and Finance.
Click here to learn more
July 2, 2009: Six Virginia Marine Resources Commission licenses for recreational use of some commercial fishing gear now will be available for purchase through the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries' easy-to-use online or over-the-phone license sales system. Available for purchase for recreational use will be licenses for fish cast net, fish dip net, crab trotline, 300-foot gill net, eel pots and a crab pot license that allows up to five pots to be set recreationally. These licenses now can be purchased online at Licenses , by calling 1-866-721-6911 (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except holidays) or in person from hundreds of DGIF license agents located around the state. Licenses are also sold by some clerks of the Circuit Court, or through mail order. The licenses will continue to be sold by VMRC licensing agents as well.
June 30, 2009: The federal government has released $2 million in economic stimulus funds for a major seaside Eastern Shore environmental improvement joint project between the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the Nature Conservancy, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program. Of that money, $1.2 million will be used by the VMRC to create 24 acres of functional oyster reefs, designated as rotational harvest areas on the seaside to provide economic benefits for the watermen of the local seaside communities. <Press
Release>
June 23, 2009: The Virginia Marine Resources Commission unanimously approved the restoration of Factory Point in Hampton, located at the mouth of Back River, and the dredging of the Back River and Long Creek navigation channels. Five breakwaters were also approved to help preserve the restoration of the sand spit that washed out in a storm a decade ago.
<Meeting
Summary>
June 23, 2009: The Virginia Marine Resources is now issuing landing permits for grouper and tilefish and has established a method for reporting all catches, as required under a regulation approved in May. For more information, please click here ... <Notice>
June 1, 2009: The new Buckroe Fishing Pier in Hampton is now open for business. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission appropriated $750,000 to help finance the construction of the 706-foot pier, as part of its mission to promote recreational fishing. The pier is 16 feet wide and features shelters, fish cleaning stations, restrooms, a bait shop and a snack bar. A grand opening ceremony was held May 30. Individual fishing licenses are not required, but there is an admission fee. Here are a few photos and a short video clip as Hampton Mayor Molly Joseph Ward cuts the ribbon to open the pier. <Grand Opening>
May 26, 2009: The Virginia Marine Resources Commission has voted unanimously to continue its mult-year blue crab rebuilding program, enacting a Nov. 21 fall harvest closure
for female crabs and a continued ban on the winter dredging of crabs. Because a scientific population survey concluded that last year's crab harvest restrictions are showing signs of success, the Commission agreed to waive a scheduled 15 percent reduction in the number of crab pots allowed per license class, and to reinstate the five-pot recreational crab license that was suspended last year, but only permit their use from June 1 to Sept. 15.
<Meeting Summary>
May 19, 2009: The federal government has released $7.5 million in blue crab disaster aid to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, to continue its work to rebuild the depleted crab fishery and to aid out-of-work crab dredgers over the next two years.
The National Marine Fisheries Service is reviewing an additional $7.5 million in disaster aid. Governor Timothy M. Kaine announced the release of funds in this press release.
<Press
Release>
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