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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 4. Conservation And Natural Resources
Agency 20. Marine Resources Commission
Chapter 270. Pertaining to Blue Crab Fishery
12/26/2024

4VAC20-270-51. Daily commercial harvester, vessel, and harvest and possession limits.

A. Any barrel used by a harvester to contain or possess any amount of crabs will be equivalent in volume to no more than three bushels of crabs.

B. From July 5, 2024, through October 31, 2024, and May 16, 2025, through July 4, 2025, any commercial fisherman registration licensee legally licensed for any hard crab pot license, as described in 4VAC20-270-50 B, shall be limited to the following maximum daily harvest and possession limits for any of the following hard crab pot license categories:

1. 10 bushels, or three barrels and one bushel, of crabs if licensed for up to 85 crab pots.

2. 14 bushels, or four barrels and two bushels, of crabs if licensed for up to 127 crab pots.

3. 18 bushels, or six barrels, of crabs if licensed for up to 170 crab pots.

4. 29 bushels, or nine barrels and two bushels, of crabs if licensed for up to 255 crab pots.

5. 47 bushels, or 15 barrels and two bushels, of crabs if licensed for up to 425 crab pots.

C. From November 1, 2024, through December 16, 2024, and March 17, 2025, through May 15, 2025, any commercial fisherman registration licensee legally licensed for any hard crab pot license, as described in 4VAC20-270-50 B, shall be limited to the following maximum daily harvest and possession limits for any of the following crab pot license categories:

1. Eight bushels, or two barrels and two bushels, of crabs if licensed for up to 85 crab pots.

2. 11 bushels, or three barrels and two bushels, of crabs if licensed for up to 127 crab pots.

3. 14 bushels, or four barrels and two bushels, of crabs if licensed for up to 170 crab pots.

4. 22 bushels, or seven barrels and one bushel, of crabs if licensed for up to 255 crab pots.

5. 36 bushels, or 12 barrels, of crabs if licensed for up to 425 crab pots.

D. When a single harvester or multiple harvesters are on board any vessel, that vessel's daily harvest and possession limit shall be equal to only one daily harvest and possession limit, as described in subsections B and C of this section, and that daily limit shall correspond to the highest harvest and possession limit of only one licensee on board that vessel.

E. When transporting or selling one or more legal crab pot licensee's crab harvest in bushels or barrels, any agent shall possess either the crab pot license of that one or more crab pot licensee or a bill of lading indicating each crab pot licensee's name, address, commercial fisherman registration license number, date, and amount of bushels or barrels of crabs to be sold.

F. If any police officer finds crabs in excess of any lawful daily bushel, barrel, or vessel limit, as described in this section, that excess quantity of crabs shall be returned immediately to the water by the licensee who possesses that excess over lawful daily harvest or possession limit. The refusal to return crabs, in excess of any lawful daily harvest or possession limit, to the water shall constitute a separate violation of this chapter.

G. When any person on board any boat or vessel possesses a crab pot license, it shall be unlawful for that person or any other person aboard that boat or vessel to possess a seafood buyer's boat license and buy any crabs on any day.

Statutory Authority

§ 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 29, Issue 8, eff. November 26, 2012; amended, Virginia Register Volume 29, Issue 15, eff. March 1, 2013; Volume 29, Issue 23, eff. June 26, 2013; Volume 30, Issue 7, eff. November 21, 2013; Volume 30, Issue 24, eff. July 1, 2014; Volume 31, Issue 21, eff. July 5, 2015; Volume 32, Issue 24, eff. July 5, 2016; Volume 33, Issue 26, eff. August 1, 2017; Volume 34, Issue 23, eff. July 5, 2018; Volume 35, Issue 23, eff. July 5, 2019; Volume 36, Issue 23, eff. July 5, 2020; Volume 37, Issue 7, eff. November 1, 2020; Volume 37, Issue 24, eff. July 5, 2021; Volume 38, Issue 24, eff. July 5, 2022; Volume 39, Issue 24, eff. July 5, 2023; Volume 40, Issue 4, eff. October 1, 2023; Volume 40, Issue 24, eff. July 5, 2024.

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