Agency Meetings and Public Notices

December 2023

ASMFC Public Hearing - 12/07/2023, 6:00 PM: The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has scheduled Virginia’s striped bass public hearing regarding Addendum 2 of Amendment 7 for December 7th, 2023 starting at 6 pm, this meeting is scheduled for 2 hours. The meeting will take place in person at VMRC’s main office in the Commission Room and is open to the public. ASMFC will be giving a presentation discussing the recreational Bay and Ocean striped bass options along with potential reductions to the commercial quotas. To listen in virtually to this meeting you can click the "Meeting Live Stream" button at the top right of the page. Please note you can only listen in to the meeting through this live stream; to participate and make public comments in the meeting you must attend in person.
Below you will find ASMFC's news release for all of the public hearings and an overview of what will be discussed and how to submit public comments if you cannot attend the meeting in person. [ News Release ]
If you would like to listen to the YouTube recording of the December 7th live meeting, you can click [ Here ]

SMAC - 12/05/2023, 4:00 PM: The Shellfish Management Advisory Committee meeting will be held on December 5th, 2023 from 4-6pm at the Fort Monroe Main Office. [ Agenda | YouTube Recording | WebEx Recording | Minutes ]

VMRC - 12/05/2023, 9:30 AM: The combined November/December Commission Meeting will be held on December 5th, 2023 at the Fort Monroe Main Office. [ Public Notice | Evaluation Pertaining To Funding Requests From The Recreational And Commercial Fisheries License Funds | Evaluation Pertaining To Repealing Outdated Oyster Regulations | Draft regulation - Piankatank River Management Area | Draft regulation - Patent Tong Restrictions | Draft regulation - Open Public Oyster Rocks, Pocomoke Sound | Draft regulation - Opening of John East Turn and Poynter Rocks and Closing Beaseley Bay Rock and Deep Creek Channel, Buoy No.7 | Draft regulation - A Change in the Oyster Cull Size for Oysters Harvested from Russ Rock, Rappahannock River | Draft regulation - Expansion of the Jail Island Clean Cull Area | Draft regulation - A Change in the Oyster Cull Size for Oysters Harvested from Little Carters Rock, Rappahannock River | Agenda | YouTube Recording | Final Minutes ]

November 2023

CFAB – 11/06/2023, 3:00 PM: Commercial Fishing Advisory Board. The meeting will be held remotely using WebEx. Agenda | WebEx Info | WebEx Link | Minutes ]

11/03/2023: Attention black sea bass anglers – VMRC wants your opinion on opening a recreational black sea bass season in February 2024. This specially-permitted season has been opened several times in the last few years with the trade-off of an in-season closure later in the year. Click the link below by November 10 to answer a one-question survey about your interest in the February season. [Survey]

October 2023

September 2023

MMAC - 09/27/2023, 4:00 PM - Menhaden Management Advisory Committee. The meeting will be held remotely using WebEx. [ Agenda | Public Participation Instructions | Webex Meeting pwd: MMAC0927 | YouTube recording | Draft Minutes ]

RFAB - 09/11/2023, 6:00 PM - Recreational Fishing Advisory Board. The meeting will be held virtually. [ Notice | WebEx Info ]

August 2023

CMAC - 08/03/2023, 4:00 PM - Crab Management Advisory Committee meeting at the Main Office. [ Agenda | YouTube - Part 1 | YouTube - Part 2 | Minutes ]

SMAC - 08/10/2023, 4:00 PM - Shellfish Management Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday August 10th at 4 PM at Fort Monroe. [ Agenda | Minutes | WebEx Recording ]

July 2023

RFAB - 07/10/2023, 6:00 PM - Recreational Fishing Advisory Board. The meeting will be virtual. [ Notice | Participation Info ]

SMAC - 07/20/2023, 4:00 PM - Shellfish Management Advisory Committee will meet at VMRC. [ Agenda | Minutes | Audio Recording | YouTube Recording ]

VMRC – 07/25/2023, 9:30 AM [ Agenda | Minutes | Final Minutes ]

June 2023

May 2023

RFAB - 05/08/2023, 6:00 PM - Recreational Fishing Advisory Board. The meeting will be held in person at VMRC.

VMRC – 05/23/2023, 9:30 AM [ Agenda | Minutes | Final Minutes ]

CMAC – 05/24/2023, 4:00 PM – The Crab Management Advisory Committee will be meeting to discuss results of the 2023 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey. [ Agenda | YouTube Recording | Minutes ]

April 2023

SMAC - 04/13/2023, 4:00 PM: The Shellfish Management Advisory Committee (SMAC) will be meeting on April 13th at 4:00 PM at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) Davis Hall at Gloucester Point. [ Agenda | WebEx meeting password: Apr13 (27713 from phones and video systems). Join by phone +1-866-692-4530 US (Toll Free) Access code: 243 642 26511 | Minutes | WebEx recording ]

March 2023

VMRC – 03/28/2023, 9:30 AM [ Agenda | Minutes | YouTube recording | Final Minutes ]

February 2023

SMAC - 02/16/2023, 4:00 PM: The Shellfish Management Advisory Committee (SMAC) will be meeting on February 16th at 4:00 PM at Fort Monroe. Additional information and a tentative agenda will be provided at a later date. The primary topics of discussion will be the 2023 Oyster Replenishment Plan, Public Season Extensions, and a briefing by the VIMS Molluscan Ecology Group on some of their on going work. This meeting will be live-streamed on YouTube (see link at right) [ Agenda | YouTube recording | Minutes ]

January 2023

VMRC – 01/24/2023, 9:30 AM [ Agenda | Minutes | YouTube recording | Final Minutes ]

SMAC - 01/24/2023, 4:00 PM: Shellfish Management Advisory Committee [ YouTube recording | Minutes ]

FMAC – 01/25/2023, 5:00 PM - Finfish Management Advisory Committee. The meeting will be held remotely using WebEx. [ Agenda | Public Participation Instructions | WebEx Link pwd: FMAC0125 | YouTube recording | Minutes ]

Meeting Live Stream

The Commission live streams many of its public meetings. If you are interested in viewing a meeting that is currently in progress click on the heading above.

Past meeting videos are here

Public Notice Information

Links to individual public notices are in the meeting calendar to the left. You may email comments on current Public Notices to:

Oyster Issues Only - Mr. Andrew Button
Fisheries Comments - Mr. Pat Geer
Habitat Issues - Mr. Randy Owen

You must include your name, address, phone, and e-mail address with your comments for the public record. Please keep in mind e-mail is not always reliable. VMRC cannot be held responsible for comments lost in cyberspace.

Note that by law, habitat management permit cases must be advertised in the local papers in the vicinity of the project. Habitat public notices are posted here; Shellfish public notices are here. Please contact the appropriate Habitat Management Staff in the area of interest to get more information on a specific habitat permit case. Click here to see listing of staff territory assignments.

Public notices related to the Pound Net Siting Public Review Process and the Placement of Shellfish Aquaculture Enclosures on Leased Ground can be found in the meeting calendar to the left or by clicking on the links in this sentence.

Calendar & Abbreviations

VMRC - Virginia Marine Resources Commission
AMAC - Aquaculture Management Advisory Committee
CMAC - Crab Management Advisory Committee
CFAB - Commercial Fishing Advisory Board
FMAC - Finfish Management Advisory Committee
MMAC - Menhaden Management Advisory Committee
RFAB - Recreational Fishing Advisory Board
SMAC - Shellfish Management Advisory Committee
SWFTAC - Saltwater Fishing Tournament Advisory Committee

Note

All meetings after 1/29/2019 held at 380 Fenwick Road, Ft. Monroe, VA 23651 unless otherwise noted. Many committee dates are tentative. Check with VMRC Fisheries Management Division to verify date, time, and place 757-247-2200. Shellfish Committee and Seaside Eastern Shore Oyster Replenishment Committee meetings - verify, date, time and place by calling 757-247-2120.