COMMERCIAL FISHING IN
ALL REGULATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE MONTHLY
AMBERJACK
- [Regulation 4 VAC 20-510-10 et seq.]
MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT . . . 32 inches total length
POSSESSION LIMIT . . . 2 amberjack per person
AMERICAN EEL
- [Regulation 4 VAC 20-500-10 et seq.]
MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT . . . 6 inches total length (See
regulation for details on eel pot restrictions.)
AMERICAN SHAD -
[Regulation 4 VAC 20-530-10 et seq.] Bycatch fishery by permit
only. Contact Joe Cimino for permit information (757) 247-8068.
BILLFISHES
(Sailfish, White, Blue, Longbill)
- [Regulation 4 VAC 20-350-10 et seq.]
PROHIBITION OF SALE... Unlawful for any person to
buy, sell, offer for sale, possess with intent to sell, barter
or exchange billfish.
BLACK DRUM (Drum, Drumfish) - [Regulation 4 VAC 20-320-10 et seq.]
MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT . . . 16 inches total length
POSSESSION LIMIT . . . All hook & line fishermen
are limited to 1 black drum per person
HARVEST QUOTA . . . 120,000 pounds per year
from Virginia tidal waters
PERMIT REQUIRED: All fishermen need to obtain a Black Drum Harvesting
and Selling Permit in order to harvest, sell or possess more than one
black drum per day.
BLACK SEA BASS
- [Regulation 4 VAC 20-950-10 et seq.]
MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT . . . 11 inches total length
HARVEST QUOTA . . . 168,638 pounds (2009 Directed fishery) and 40,000 pounds
(2009 Bycatch fishery)
PERMIT REQUIRED: All fishermen need to obtain either a Virginia Black
Sea Bass Directed Fishery Permit or Bycatch Fishery Permit in order to
harvest, sell or possess black sea bass. (See regulation for details).
BLUE
CATFISH - [Click
here for applicable DGIF regulations]
1 blue catfish per day over 32 inches
BLUEFISH
- [Regulation 4 VAC 20-450-10 et seq.]
LANDINGS QUOTA . . . 1,048,366 pounds of bluefish
COBIA
(Bonita) - [Regulation 4 VAC 20-510-10 et seq.]
MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT . . . 37 inches total length
POSSESSION LIMIT . . . 2 cobia per person
GREY TROUT(Weakfish)
- [Regulation 4 VAC 20-380-10 et seq.]
HOOK & LINE FISHERY . . . 12 inches total length minimum size limit; no closed
season
GILL NET FISHERY . . . 12 inches total length minimum size limit. Closed seasons shall be May 14 through Oct. 20 and Dec. 31 through
March 15. During the CLOSED SEASON, you can possess up to 150 pounds of
grey trout of 12 inches or greater if there is an equal total weight of
species other than grey trout on board.
POUND NET FISHERY . . . No minimum size limit. Closed seasons shall be
May 1 through 22 and Sept.13 through March 31; see 4 VAC20-380-50 for
exceptions. During the CLOSED SEASON, you can possess up to 450 pounds
or 150 times the number of licensed commercial fisherman, whichever is less,
of grey trout of 12 inches or greater if there is an equal total weight
of species other than grey trout on board.
HAUL SEINE FISHERY . . . No minimum size limit. Closed seasons shall be
April 1 through 15, June 11 through Aug. 20, and Sept. 25 through March
31. During the CLOSED SEASON, you can possess up to 150 pounds of grey
trout of 12 inches or greater if there is an equal total weight of
species other than grey trout on board.
TRAWL FISHERY . . . Unlawful to land grey trout in Virginia less
than 12 inches in length, except that up to 150 grey trout less than 12
inches in length may be landed by trawl but shall not be sold. Unlawful
to have a trawl net cod-end with mesh less than 3 inches. The closed
season shall be Sept. 26 through March 31. During the CLOSED SEASON,
you can possess up to 150 pounds of grey trout of 12 inches or greater
if there is an equal total weight of species other than grey trout on
board.
OTHER GEAR TYPES . . . 9 inch minimum size limit
GROUPER (See regulation for list of affected
species) - [Regulation 4 VAC 20-1120-10 et seq.]
POSSESSION LIMIT . . . 175lbs per vessel
KING MACKEREL -
[Regulation 4 VAC 20-540-10 et seq.]
MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT . . . 27 inches total length (king mackerel less than 27 inches may be taken from a pound
net)
MONKFISH (Goosefish) - [Regulation
4 VAC 20-1080-10 et. seq.]
HARVEST LIMITS . . . Unlawful to take or possess more than 50 pounds
of monkfish tails or 166 pounds of whole fish, unless the vessel holds
an applicable Federal Fisheries Permit that authorizes harvest and
possession of monkfish.
RED DRUM(Puppy
Drum, Channel Bass)
[Regulation 4 VAC 20-280-10 et seq.]
SLOT SIZE LIMIT. . . 18 inch minimum and 26 inch maximum size limits (total
length)
POSSESSION LIMIT . . . Any person is limited
to 3 red drum
SCUP
(Porgy) - [Regulation 4 VAC 20-910-10 et seq.]
MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT . . . 9 inches total length
POSSESSION LIMIT . . . 30,000 pounds of scup (Jan. 1- April 30); 2000 pounds of scup (Nov. 1- Dec.
31)
HARVEST QUOTAS . . . 30,000 pounds in a 14-day period during Jan. 1
through Apr. 30; 2,887 pounds May 1 through Oct. 31; 2000 pounds Nov. 1
through Dec. 31 (See regulation for details of landing limits and fish
pot restrictions)
SHARK
-
[Regulation 4 VAC 20-490-10 et seq.]
MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT . . . 58 inches fork length or 31 inches in carcass length,
for commercial purposes, from waters west of the COLREGS Line
POSSESSION LIMIT . . .It shall be unlawful for any person to harvest spiny dogfish,
for commercial purposes, from state waters, after it has been announced that the
Interstate Quota for spiny dogfish has been taken.
CATCH LIMITATIONS. . . A vessel may not have on board or land more than 4,000 pounds dressed
weight, of large coastal shark carcasses per day. No commercial trip or possession
limits for small coastal or pelagic sharks. Longlining and finning sharks are
prohibited; however, fins may be removed at sea provided the carcass of the shark
is retained and counted as part of any possession or landing limit.
HARVEST QUOTA . . .Unlawful to take, possess aboard any vessel or land in Virginia more
than 3,000 pounds of spiny dogfish per day for commercial purposes. All commercially
harvested spiny dogfish must be sold to a federally permitted dealer.
SHEEPSHEAD
- [Regulation 4 VAC 20-1110-10 et seq.]
POSSESION LIMIT . . .500 lbs per vessel
SPADEFISH
- [Regulation 4 VAC 20-970-10 et seq.]
POSSESSION LIMIT . . . Commercial hook & line fishermen are limited to
6 spadefish per person
SPANISH MACKEREL -
[Regulation 4 VAC 20-540-10 et seq.]
MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT . . . 14 inches total length
CATCH LIMITATION . . . No person may land
more than 3,500 pounds of Spanish mackerel per vessel per trip.
SPECKLED TROUT
(Spotted
Seatrout) - [Regulation 4 VAC 20-280-10 et seq.]
MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT . . . 14 inches total length
(Pound net and Haul seine fisheries are allowed up to 5% tolerance of
speckled trout under 14 inches, by weight.
POSSESSION LIMIT . . . All hook & line fishermen are limited to 10 speckled trout per person.
LANDINGS QUOTA . . . 51,104 pounds of speckled trout September 1 through August 31, for each 12 month
period
STRIPED BASS (Rockfish,
Striper) - [Regulation 4 VAC 20-252 -10 et seq.]
It is unlawful for any person to engage in
the commercial fishery for striped bass without first having obtained
the necessary Commercial Fisherman's Registration License, the
appropriate gear license and the special permit to harvest striped
bass. Size limits and season restrictions must be observed and all
commercially harvested striped bass must be identified with a tamper
evident sealed tag that has been approved and issued by the appropriate
authority in the jurisdiction of capture. The Individual Transferable
Share Program allows any permitted fisherman to transfer his striped
bass commercial quota shares (tags) to any commercially registered
fisherman on a permanent or temporary basis, provided the transfer is
documented on the proper form, notarized, and approved by the
Commissioner.
STURGEON
- [Code Section
28.2-303]
It is unlawful to take, catch or possess any sturgeon.
SUMMER FLOUNDER - [Regulation 4 VAC 20-620-10 et seq.]
MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT . . . 14 inches total length
HARVEST QUOTA . . . 300,000 pounds per year from Virginia tidal waters (See regulation for details of offshore limits and see
Regulation 4 VAC 20-920-10 ET SEQ. for details of Summer Flounder
Endorsement License and Exemption)
TAUTOG - [Regulation 4 VAC 20-960-10 et seq.]
MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT . . . 14 inches total length (See regulation for details of fish pot
restrictions)
CLOSED SEASON . . . April 16 through October 2
CLOSED SEASON . . . December 1 through December 15
TILE FISH - [Regulation 4 VAC 20-1120-10 et
seq.]
POSSESSION LIMIT. . . 300 lbs per vessel
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