4VAC20-1310-30. Possession prohibitions and commercial fishery minimum size limit.
A. It shall be unlawful for any individual to possess any egg-bearing female Jonah crab, except for scientific purposes and with the express written consent of the Commissioner of Marine Resources. Any harvested egg-bearing female Jonah crab shall be returned to the water immediately.
B. It shall be unlawful for any individual to land any Jonah crab unless the whole crab is in that individual's possession, except as provided in 4VAC20-1310-40 C.
C. It shall be unlawful for any individual to possess or land any Jonah crab for commercial purposes that measures less than 4.75 inches in carapace length.
D. It shall be unlawful for any individual to possess or land for commercial purposes any Jonah crab claws that measure less than 2.75 inches in claw length in any amount greater than five gallons.
Statutory Authority
§ 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 21, eff. June 1, 2016; amended, Virginia Register Volume 36, Issue 15, eff. March 1, 2020.