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1996 SESSION

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HB 156 Protection of the blue crab.

Introduced by: Harvey B. Morgan | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY:

Protection of the blue crab. Establishes a number of protective measures to reduce fishing pressure on the blue crab and to protect female crabs showing eggs including: (i) a 3.5-inch size limit on the taking and possession of softshell crabs; (ii) a prohibition on the taking or possession of sponge crabs with an egg mass of brown to black coloration (late stage egg mass); (iii) a limitation of the number of hard crab pot and peeler pot licenses to the number existing on November 27, 1995; (iv) a limitation on entry to the 1996 hard pot and peeler pot fisheries to those who participated in 1995 while holding them to the same number of previously licensed allowable pots, except that those who held licenses to fish over 300 pots are reduced to a 300-pot maximum; (v) a requirement that the Virginia Marine Resources Commission establish a buoy marking system to track the number of pots used by each licensee; and (vi) a requirement that crab traps and crab pounds and related gear be removed from the water no later that October 31 of each year.


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