4VAC20-720-40. Open oyster harvest season and areas.
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to harvest oysters from public and unassigned grounds outside of the seasons and areas set forth in this section.
B. It shall be unlawful to harvest clean cull oysters from the public oyster grounds and unassigned grounds except during the lawful seasons and from the lawful areas as described in this subsection.
1. James River Seed Area, including the Deep Water Shoal State Replenishment Seed Area: October 1, 2022, through April 30, 2023 (hand tong only).
2. Milford Haven: November 1, 2022, through April 14, 2023 (hand tong only).
3. Rappahannock River Area 9: October 1, 2022, through April 14, 2023 (hand tong only).
4. Corrotoman Hand Tong Area: October 1, 2022, through April 14, 2023.
5. Little Wicomico River: October 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022 (hand tong only).
6. Nomini Creek Area: October 1, 2022, through January 31, 2023 (hand tong only).
7. Yeocomico River Area: October 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022 (hand tong only).
8. Coan River Area: October 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022 (hand tong only).
9. Indian Creek Area: March 1, 2023, through April 14, 2023 (hand tong only).
10. York River Hand Tong Area: October 1, 2022, through April 14, 2023 (hand tong only).
11. York River Rotation Area 1: November 1, 2022, through April 14, 2023 (hand tong only).
12. Pocomoke Sound Area Public Ground 10: November 1, 2022, through November 15, 2022 (hand tong only).
13. Pocomoke Sound Area Public Ground 9: November 1, 2022, through January 31, 2023 (hand tong only).
14. Rappahannock River Rotation Area 2: December 1, 2022, through January 31, 2023 (hand scrape only).
15. Rappahannock River Rotation Area 4: October 17, 2022, through November 30, 2022, and February 1, 2023, through February 28, 2023 (hand scrape only).
16. Rappahannock River Area 7: December 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022 (hand scrape only).
17. Rappahannock River Area 8: January 1, 2023, through January 31, 2023 (hand scrape only).
18. Great Wicomico River Rotation Area 2: December 1, 2022, through March 14, 2023 (hand scrape only).
19. James River Areas 1, 2, and 3: October 17, 2022, through February 14, 2023 (hand scrape only).
20. Upper Chesapeake Bay - Blackberry Hangs Area: February 1, 2023, through March 14, 2023 (hand scrape only).
21. York River Area 2: January 1, 2023, through March 14, 2023 (hand scrape only).
22. Pocomoke Sound Area Public Ground 9: February 1, 2023, through February 28, 2023 (hand scrape only).
23. Pocomoke Sound Area Public Ground 10: November 15, 2022 through November 30,, 2022 and February 1, 2023 through February 28, 2023 (hand scrape only).
24. Tangier Sound Rotation Area 2: December 1, 2022, through March 14, 2023 (dredge only).
25. Deep Rock Area: November 1, 2022, through March 29, 2023 (patent tong only).
26. Rappahannock River Rotation Area 1: October 17, 2022, through March 14, 2023 (patent tong only).
27. Seaside of the Eastern Shore (for clean cull oysters only): November 1, 2022, through April 14, 2023 (by hand and hand tong only).
C. It shall be unlawful to harvest seed oysters from the public oyster grounds or unassigned grounds, except during the lawful seasons. The harvest of seed oysters from the lawful areas is described in this subsection.
1. James River Seed Area: October 1, 2022, through May 31, 2023 (hand tong only).
2. Deep Water Shoal State Replenishment Seed Area: October 1, 2022, through May 31, 2023 (hand tong only).
Statutory Authority
§ 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR450-01-0095 § 4, eff. October 1, 1993; amended, Virginia Register Volume 10, Issue 14, eff. February 23, 1994; Volume 11, Issue 3, eff. October 5, 1994; Volume 11, Issue 7, eff. December 1, 1994; Volume 11, Issue 16, eff. April 4, 1995; Volume 12, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 1995; Volume 13, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 1996; Volume 13, Issue 7, eff. December 1, 1996; Volume 14, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 1997; Volume 15, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 1998; Volume 15, Issue 20, eff. June 1, 1999; Volume 16, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 1999; Volume 16, Issue 12, eff. February 4, 2000; Volume 17, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 2000; Volume 18, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 2001; Volume 18, Issue 9, eff. January 1, 2002; Volume 19, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 2002; Volume 19, Issue 9, eff. December 27, 2002; Volume 20, Issue 4, eff. October 8, 2003; Volume 20, Issue 6, eff. November 1, 2003; Volume 20, Issue 10, eff. January 1, 2004; Volume 20, Issue 14, eff. March 1, 2004; Volume 21, Issue 4, eff. October 1, 2004; Volume 21, Issue 8, eff. December 1, 2004; Volume 21, Issue 14, eff. March 1, 2005; Volume 22, Issue 4, eff. October 1, 2005; Volume 22, Issue 10, eff. January 1, 2006; Volume 23, Issue 4, eff. October 1, 2006; Volume 24, Issue 4, eff. October 1, 2007; Volume 24, Issue 12, eff. February 1, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 2008; Volume 26, Issue 4, eff. October 1, 2009; Volume 26, Issue 14, eff. March 1, 2010; Volume 27, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 2010; Volume 28, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 2011; Volume 29, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 2012; Volume 30, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 2013; Volume 30, Issue 4, eff. November 1, 2013; Volume 31, Issue 2, eff. October 1, 2014; Volume 32, Issue 1, eff. September 1, 2015; Volume 32, Issue 4, eff. October 1, 2015; Volume 32, Issue 6, eff. November 1, 2015; Volume 32, Issue 12, eff. February 1, 2016; Volume 33, Issue 2, eff. August 31, 2016; Volume 34, Issue 2, eff. October 1, 2017; Volume 35, Issue 2, eff. October 1, 2018; Volume 35, Issue 9, eff. December 11, 2018; Volume 36, Issue 3, eff. October 1, 2019; Volume 37, Issue 2, eff. October 1, 2020; Volume 38, Issue 2, eff. October 1, 2021; Errata, 38:14 VA.R. 2113 February 28, 2022; amended, Virginia Register Volume 39, Issue 2, eff. October 1, 2022; Errata, 39:4 VA.R. 380 October 10, 2022; amended, Virginia Register Volume 39, Issue 15, eff. March 1, 2023.