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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 4. Conservation And Natural Resources
Agency 20. Marine Resources Commission
Chapter 490. Pertaining to Sharks
12/21/2024

4VAC20-490-30. Commercial gear restrictions.

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, set, or fish any longline in Virginia's tidal waters.

B. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, set, or fish any shark shortline in Virginia's tidal waters with more than 50 hooks. All hooks must be corrodible circle hooks. In addition, any person aboard a vessel fishing shortlines must practice the protocols and possess the federally required release equipment, for pelagic and bottom longlines, for the safe handling, release and disentanglement of sea turtles and other nontarget species; all captain and vessel owners must be certified in using handling and release equipment.

C. It shall be unlawful for a person to possess more than two shark shortlines on board a vessel.

D. It shall be unlawful for any person fishing for commercial purposes to possess any shark caught by means other than permitted commercial gear.

E. Any person fishing commercially for sharks shall check all large mesh gill nets at least once every two hours.

Statutory Authority

§ 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR450-01-0063 § 3, Virginia Register Volume 11, Issue 22, eff. July 1, 1995; amended, Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 14, eff. March 1, 2009; Volume 27, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2011; Volume 36, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2020.

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