Section 30. Possession prohibitions

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to possess for a period longer than is necessary for immediate determination of the presence of eggs, any berried female lobster, except for scientific purposes and with the express written consent of the Commissioner of Marine Resources.

B. It shall be unlawful for any person to possess for a period longer than is necessary for immediate determination of unnatural removal of eggs, a lobster that has been scrubbed or has in any manner other than natural hatching had the eggs removed therefrom.

C. It shall be unlawful to possess a V-notched female lobster. The prohibition on possession of a V-notched female lobster applies to all persons, including but not limited to fishermen, dealers, shippers, and restaurants.

D. It shall be unlawful to possess a lobster that has an outer shell that has been speared.

E. It shall be unlawful to land lobster from February 1 through March 31.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR450-01-0014 § 3, eff. January 1, 1973; amended, Volume 11, Issue 25, eff. August 3, 1995; Volume 17, Issue 05, eff. October 30, 2000; Volume 29, Issue 02, eff. September 1, 2012.

Statutory Authority

§ 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.