RECREATIONAL COBIA FISHING IN VIRGINIA

February 28, 2023: The Commission voted to terminate Recreational Cobia Mandatory Reporting Program (RCMRP) at the Tuesday, February 28th Commission meeting. Anglers no longer need a recreational permit to target cobia in Virginia waters. We encourage voluntary cobia reporting (especially release data) using the Virginia Saltwater Journal (www.vasaltwaterjournal.com) to help assist with stock assessment data. Otherwise, the 2023 recreational regulations remain the same: season open June 15-September 15; 1 fish per person, 2 fish per vessel possession limit; and a prohibition on gaffing. The minimum size is 40" total length with one allowed on a vessel >50" total length.

February 22, 2023: VMRC is proposing to terminate the Recreational Cobia Mandatory Reporting Program (RCMRP) at the Tuesday, February 28th Commission meeting. If the amendments are accepted, anglers would no longer need a Recreational Cobia Permit to target cobia in Virginia. Please check back next week to see if this change is finalized. To listen to the meeting on YouTube, visit our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/vamarineresources on the day of the meeting.

May 31, 2022: REMINDER: cobia season opens June 15! The season is June 15-September 15; there is a 1 fish per person, 2 fish per vessel possession limit; and a prohibition on gaffing. The minimum size is 40" total length with one allowed on a vessel >50" total length. To get your permit, please visit: https://webapps.mrc.virginia.gov/public/mpermits/. The deadline to report is October 6, 2022.

September 15, 2021: Today is the final day of recreational cobia season for 2021! We hope you had a fun season! Make sure your reports are in by October 6, 2021. If you have questions about how to meet your reporting requirements, please read through the information below OR email us at fisheries@mrc.virginia.gov, subject line "COBIA".

December 9, 2020: On December 8th, the Commission adjusted the 2021-2023 recreational cobia management measures to comply with the ASMFC Cobia Fishery Management Plan. The new management measures are: a season of June 15-September 15; a 1 fish per person, 2 fish per vessel possession limit; and a prohibition on gaffing. The minimum size of 40" total length with one allowed on a vessel >50" total length remains the same. The 2021 Recreational Cobia Permit for Virginia will be available online on January 1, 2021.

November 13, 2020: Thank you for participating in the recreational cobia survey! We had almost 600 responses! The results will be discussed at the December 8, 2020 Commission meeting, but if you'd like to see the results before then, check out the document linked here.

VMRC Cobia Report 2019: This report summarizes the data from VMRC’s Mandatory Recreational Reporting Program for Cobia from 2017-2019.

The Recreational Cobia Permit requires mandatory reporting regardless of your participation that year (ex., trips with harvest, trips without harvest, or no trips). Accurate catch and effort reporting is critical to fishing efforts and ensures anglers have future fishing opportunities.

click here to download Cobia decision tree chart

Getting Your Recreational Species Permit

To check your eligibility for or to get the VMRC Recreational Cobia Permit online, follow this link: https://webapps.mrc.virginia.gov/public/mpermits/. Step-by-step instructions are detailed in the video below (click on "YouTube" in video toolbar to see full screen):

*The VMRC Recreational Cobia Permit is also available through any VMRC agent.

If you have questions about how to complete your recreational species reporting requirements for VMRC, please watch the following videos about reporting on paper forms, registering for a Virginia Saltwater Journal account, and reporting on the Virginia Saltwater Journal. VMRC will accept reports only by paper (email, fax, mail) or through the Virginia Saltwater Journal. No reports by phone.

Fulfilling Your Reporting Requirements

click here to download Cobia decision tree chart

Registering for the Virginia Saltwater Journal

To sign up for the Virginia Saltwater Journal, follow this link:https://www.vasaltwaterjournal.com/. Step-by-step instructions are detailed in the video below (click on "YouTube" in video toolbar to see full screen):

Recreational Reporting Online

To report on the Virginia Saltwater Journal for recreational species, follow this link: https://www.vasaltwaterjournal.com/. Step-by-step instructions are detailed in the video below (click on "YouTube" in video toolbar to see full screen):

Recreational Reporting on Paper Forms

To report on paper forms for recreational species, follow this link: https://www.mrc.virginia.gov/Forms/. Step-by-step instructions are detailed in the video below (click on "YouTube" in video toolbar to see full screen):






The regulation pertaining to the Recreational Cobia Permit can be found below:

Chapter 4VAC 20-510-10 "Pertaining to Amberjack and Cobia":

Section 15. RECREATIONAL COBIA PERMIT AND MANDATORY REPORTING.

4VAC20-510-15. RECREATIONAL COBIA PERMIT AND MANDATORY REPORTING.

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or land any cobia harvested from a recreational vessel unless the captain or operator of that recreational vessel has obtained a Recreational Cobia Permit from the Marine Resources Commission (commission). The captain or operator shall be responsible for reporting for all anglers on the recreational vessel. Any captain or operator who did not take fishing trips to target cobia during the current recreational cobia season is still required to report lack of participation.

B. It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or land any cobia harvested recreationally from shore, a pier, or any other manmade structure without first having obtained a Recreational Cobia Permit from the Marine Resources Commission. Permittees shall be responsible for reporting all trips. Any permittee who did not take fishing trips to target cobia during the current recreational cobia season is still required to report lack of participation.

C. It shall be unlawful for any recreational cobia permittee to fail to report on forms provided by the commission or through the Virginia Saltwater Fisherman's Journal. Reports shall include MRC ID number, the date of harvest, the mode of fishing, the number of cobia kept or released, and, if fishing from a vessel, the number of persons on board.

1. Any permittee who did not take any fishing trips to target cobia during the recreational cobia season shall report the permittee’s lack of participation by midnight on October 6 of that calendar year.

2. Any permittee shall report trips where cobia were targeted but not successfully caught by midnight on October 6 of that calendar year.

3. Any permittee shall report trips where cobia were caught, whether harvested, released, or possessed, by midnight on October 6 of that calendar year.

D. Following October 6 of the current calendar year, any permittee who failed to report for any season shall be ineligible to receive a recreational cobia permit for the following calendar year but shall be eligible to reapply for that permit in subsequent years.

Information on 2021 reporting that may affect your eligibility

As a member of the angling community, it is your responsibility to know and understand the regulations and requirements associated with the species you target. VMRC staff made numerous attempts to inform the angling public of the recreational cobia permit mandatory reporting requirements throughout the 2021 fishing year including:

1) Each cobia permittee using the online registration system checked a box confirming that they understood the mandatory reporting requirement associated with the Recreational Cobia Permit and the consequences for failing to comply with said requirement.

2) Prior to printing out the actual permit, the permittee was reminded of their mandatory reporting requirements and provided with instructions to register for and report through the Virginia Saltwater Journal.

3) Once each permittee completed the online registration for the permit, they received an email containing their permit and a reminder to report all activity (or lack of participation).

4) The Recreational Cobia Permit itself details the mandatory reporting requirements associated with the permit and provides instructions to register for and report through Virginia Saltwater Journal.

5) May 26, 2021: Sent pre-season letters by mail to 16 cobia permittees without email addresses, explicitly laying out all requirements for reporting and repercussions if the permittee does not report, as well as the new recreational cobia season and possession limits.

6) May 27, 2021: Sent pre-season emails to 2,850 cobia permittees, explicitly laying out all requirements for reporting and repercussions if the permittee does not report, as well as the new recreational cobia season and possession limits.

7) May 28, 2021: A VMRC Facebook post educating anglers about the new recreational cobia season, possession limits, reporting deadline, and who should and should not hold a Recreational Cobia Permit.

8) June 14, 2021: Sent emails to 4,134 permittees and letters to 16 permittees without email addresses a second pre-season letter, explicitly laying out all requirements for reporting and repercussions if the permittee does not report, as well as the new recreational cobia season and possession limits.

9) June 15, 2021: A VMRC Facebook post educated anglers about who should and should not hold a Recreational Cobia Permit as well as the new season and possession limits, and reminded anglers about the mandatory reporting requirements associated with the Recreational Cobia Permit including the new deadline.

10) June 29, 2021: A VMRC Facebook post educated anglers on what trips required reports and how to meet the mandatory reporting requirements for this year.

11) July 6, 2021: Sent emails to 5,106 permittees and letters to 19 permittees without email addresses who had not yet met the mandatory reporting requirements.

12) July 8, 2021: A VMRC Facebook post directed anglers to the Recreational Fishing for Cobia in Virginia educational webpage for information about the Recreational Cobia Permit and its associated reporting requirements.

13) July 15, 2021: A VMRC Facebook post reminded anglers about the mandatory reporting requirements associated with the Recreational Cobia Permit and educated permittees on how and what they should report to meet the reporting requirements.

14) August 5, 2021: A VMRC Facebook post directed anglers to the Recreational Fishing for Cobia in Virginia educational webpage for information about the Recreational Cobia Permit and its associated reporting requirements.

15) August 11, 2021: Sent emails 4,892 permittees and letters to 17 permittees without email addresses who had not yet met the mandatory reporting requirements.

16) August 19, 2021: A VMRC Facebook post directed anglers to the Recreational Fishing for Cobia in Virginia educational webpage for information about the Recreational Cobia Permit and its associated reporting requirements, specifically highlighting the "how-to" videos.

17) September 2, 2021: A VMRC Facebook post reminded anglers about the mandatory reporting requirements associated with the Recreational Cobia Permit, explained the different types of reports, and directed anglers to the Recreational Fishing for Cobia in Virginia educational webpage for more information.

18) September 15, 2021: A VMRC Facebook post announced the close of the recreational cobia season, reminded anglers of the mandatory reporting requirements, and directed anglers to the Recreational Fishing for Cobia in Virginia educational website for all their reporting needs.

19) September 15, 2021: Sent emails 3,947 permittees and letters to 15 permittees without email addresses who had not yet met the mandatory reporting requirements.

20) September 22, 2021: A VMRC Facebook post reminded anglers of the mandatory reporting requirements associated with the Recreational Cobia Permit, provided a link to a "linktree" website (https://linktr.ee/VMRCfisheries) with links for the fillable PDF of the Recreational Species Reporting Form and to the Virginia Saltwater Journal. The post also listed the fisheries@mrc.virginia.gov email address as a point of contact for help with reporting issues and reminded anglers of the Oct 6, 2021 reporting deadline.

21) September 29, 2021: Sent a final letter reminder by mail to 10 permittees without email addresses who had not yet met the mandatory reporting requirements.

22) September 30, 2021: A VMRC Facebook post reminded anglers of the mandatory reporting requirements associated with the Recreational Cobia Permit, provided a link to a "linktree" website (https://linktr.ee/VMRCfisheries) with links for the fillable PDF of the Recreational Species Reporting Form and to the Virginia Saltwater Journal. The post also listed the fisheries@mrc.virginia.gov email address as a point of contact for help with reporting issues and reminded anglers of the Oct 6, 2021 reporting deadline.

23) October 1, 2021: Sent a final reminder email 2,341 permittees a who had not yet met the mandatory reporting requirements.

24) October 4, 2021: A VMRC Facebook post reminded anglers of the mandatory reporting requirements associated with the Recreational Cobia Permit, provided a link to a "linktree" website (https://linktr.ee/VMRCfisheries) with links for the fillable PDF of the Recreational Species Reporting Form and to the Virginia Saltwater Journal. The post also listed the fisheries@mrc.virginia.gov email address as a point of contact for help with reporting issues and reminded anglers of the Oct 6, 2021 reporting deadline.

25) October 6, 2021: The final VMRC Facebook post reminding anglers of the mandatory reporting requirements associated with the Recreational Cobia Permit, providing a link to a "linktree" website (https://linktr.ee/VMRCfisheries) with links for the fillable PDF of the Recreational Species Reporting Form and to the Virginia Saltwater Journal. The post also listed the fisheries@mrc.virginia.gov email address as a point of contact for help with reporting issues and reminded anglers of the Oct 6, 2021 reporting deadline.

26) May 15 to October 6, 2021: Staff were available (during normal business hours) by phone and email to provide education about the mandatory reporting requirements associated with the Recreational Cobia Permit and to assist permittees with any reporting issues (e.g., Virginia Saltwater Journal technical problems, mailing forms to those without computers/printers, fixing MRC ID issues, etc.)

Staff will answer additional questions only through emails sent to fisheries@mrc.virginia.gov, subject heading "COBIA". Please provide your full name and MRC ID number (ex. N001234) for reference.


Page updated: 11:41 AM Friday, May 19, 2023
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