4VAC20-1190-55. Extended drift gill nets.
A. It shall be unlawful to operate an extended drift gill net anywhere except within the mainstem of the Chesapeake Bay as well as the coastal waters of Virginia east of the COLREGS line up to the three nautical mile limit.
B. It shall be unlawful to operate an extended drift gill net except from May 1 through October 15 of each calendar year.
C. It shall be unlawful to operate an extended drift gill net except from 30 minutes prior to sunset through 9 a.m.
D. The license holder shall stay within 100 yards of the extended drift gill net gear when in the water.
E. Extended drift gill net gear shall be marked in accordance with 4VAC20-430 and shall also be marked with:
1. Two all-around lights in a vertical line with the upper being red and the lower being white. The base of the bottom white light shall be 7.5 feet above the water line.
2. A light and radar reflector attached to the end-marker flag furthest from the vessel.
F. Registered commercial fishermen and licensed seafood buyers shall allow those authorized by the commission to observe or to sample harvest and seafood products associated with extended drift gill net gear to obtain biological information for scientific and management purposes.
Statutory Authority
§ 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 41, Issue 20, eff. May 1, 2025.