September 29, 2025: Beginning 12:01 am October 7, 2025, it shall be unlawful for any person to possess or land in Virginia any amount of Spanish mackerel in excess of 500 pounds from any vessel in any one day. This provision will be in place until March 1, 2026, when the Atlantic Migratory Group Spanish Mackerel Northern Zone reopens in federal waters. [ Notice ]
September 29, 2025: The National Marine Fisheries Service announced an adjustment to the 2025 Winter II commercial scup quota and per-trip Federal landing limit. The Winter II period will run from October 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. During this period, it shall be unlawful for any person to possess aboard any vessel or to land in Virginia any amount of scup totaling more than 15,000 pounds. [ Notice ]
September 23, 2025: Results of the September VMRC Commission Meeting can be found here [ Draft Minutes ]
September 8, 2025: CMAC - 11/13/2025, 4:00 PM: There will be a Crab Management Advisory Committee Meeting held on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 4:00 PM [ Agenda ]
August 26, 2025: Results of the August VMRC Commission Meeting can be found here [ Final Minutes ]
August 25, 2025: ATTENTION VIRGINIA SEAFOOD BUYERS: The 2025/26 directed commercial speckled trout season opens on Monday September 1, 2025. Chapter 4 VAC 20-280-55 requires any licensed seafood buyer to report daily purchases of speckled trout, from August 1 through November 30, until the commission announces that the directed commercial landings quota has been reached for the current fishing year. Please see the attached memo for further information. [ Memo ]
August 25, 2025: Virginia will open the Fall/Winter directed offshore summer flounder fishery beginning Friday, October 10, 2025. Please see the attached memo for landing limits and dates. [ Memo ]
August 20, 2025: Funding Opportunity: Pilot Regional Industry-Based Bottom Trawl Survey
NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission seek a science-industry team to conduct a pilot regional industry-based bottom trawl survey off southern New England. The pilot will help define requirements for a full-scale, shelf-wide, multispecies survey that complements the federal Bottom Trawl Survey. Proposals are due by 11:59 PM ET on September 5, 2025. See the RFP for eligibility, scope, and submission instructions. ASMFC Target fieldwork window is fall 2025 or spring 2026. Data processing and draft standard operating procedures are due within six months of fieldwork completion. For questions, please contact Anna Mercer at anna.mercer@noaa.gov.
August 14, 2025: Effective September 1, 2025, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will become the central point of receipt of all joint permit application requests in the Commonwealth of Virginia (instead of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission) as the result of a federal mandate. Regulatory Request System (RRS) will be the only way to submit your application to all 3 of the permitting agencies (USACE, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission). To access the RRS, visit this link.
If you have questions regarding this permanent change, contact Kimberly Prisco-Baggett at 757-647-3282 or Kimberly.A.Prisco-Baggett@usace.army.mil
August 11, 2025: On July 22, 2025, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted to approved amendments to Chapter 4-VAC20-1390 “ Pertaining to Shrimp”. These amendments include the establishment of an Eastern Shore Shrimp Trawl Harvest area, expands the number of eligible shrimp trawl harvest licenses from 12 to 17, amends methods of reporting bycatch, and modifies the dimensions of the shrimp trawl gear to increase the height to five feet. Please see memo for details. [ Memo ]
July 28, 2025: On July 22, 2025, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted to amend Chapter 4VAC 20-490, “Pertaining to Sharks”, prohibiting overnight soaks of gillnets for any person possessing a Virginia Spiny Dogfish Permit in designated areas. This change is to mirror federal law and to remain in compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. This regulation change will be effective at 12:01 AM on Friday, August 1, 2025. Please see memo for details. [ Memo ]
July 23, 2025: Results of the July VMRC Commission Meeting can be found here [ Final Minutes ]
July 10, 2025: There will be a Finfish Management Advisory Committee meeting held on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at 5:00 PM at the VMRC Main Office. [
Agenda ]
June 24, 2025: Results of the June VMRC Commission Meeting can be found here [ Final Minutes ]
June 4, 2025: The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) encourages everyone to take advantage of Free Fishing Days from June 6 through June 8, 2025. During this special weekend, you can fish in Virginia’s saltwater areas without a recreational saltwater fishing license. [ Media Release ]
June 3, 2025: The Horseshoe Crab Dredge Category Permit commercial fishery will close beginning at 12 PM on Thursday, June 5th, 2025. Please see attached notice for details. [ Notice ]
