Virginia Law

A. Authorization to take fish. A gill net permit shall authorize the holder thereof to take nongame fish during the times and in the waters and for the purposes provided for in this section. Such gill net shall not be more than 300 feet in length. The mesh size shall be not less than one-inch bar or square mesh (three-inch stretch mesh). Applicants must annually purchase tags for each net the applicant intends to operate and attach a department tag to each net prior to use. A single permit will be issued to the permittee and shall list each tag number the permittee has been issued. All nets must be checked daily and all game fish returned to the wild.

B. Permit holder to be present when gill net is being set and checked for fish. The holder of a gill net permit must be present with the net at all times when it is being set and checked for fish. The holder may have others to assist him, and such persons assisting are not required to have a permit. However, those assisting the permittee must meet the fishing license requirements of the Commonwealth.

C. Times and places permitted in Virginia Beach City; fish which may be taken. Gill nets may be used in Virginia Beach City in Back Bay and its natural tributaries (not including Lake Tecumseh and Red Wing Lake) and North Landing River from the North Carolina line to Pungo Ferry (not including Blackwater River) for the taking of nongame fish, except American shad, alewife, and blueback herring, for table use and also for sale from November 1 through March 31, both dates inclusive. The harvest limit for anadromous hickory shad shall be 10 per day. Gill nets set in Back Bay waters shall be at least 300 feet from any other net and at least 300 feet from the shoreline. All such nets must be marked at both ends and at least every 100 feet along the length of the net with a five-inch by 12-inch minimum dimensions float.