Section 32. Recreational mandatory harvest reporting

A. It shall be unlawful for any registered tilefish and grouper landing permittee, as described in 4VAC20-1120-31, to fail to report trips where tilefish or grouper are caught, whether harvested or released, or the possession of any tilefish or grouper in accordance with this section, on forms provided by the Marine Resources Commission (commission) within seven days after the trip occurred. It shall be unlawful for any permittee to fail to report trips where tilefish or grouper were targeted but not successfully caught, and reports shall be made using forms provided by the commission by the 15th day after the close of the tilefish and grouper recreational fishery seasons.

B. Any individual tilefish and grouper landing permittee shall submit a report including the commission permit identification number of the registered tilefish and grouper landing permittee; commission permit identification number of the vessel the individual is fishing from, if applicable; date of harvest; number of individuals on board, including captain; and the number of tilefish and grouper, by species, kept and released.

C. Any private vessel or charter-headboat recreational tilefish and grouper landing permittee shall provide the vessel's commission permit identification number; date of any harvest; number of individuals on board; and number of tilefish and grouper, by species, kept and released. Any such permittee must report all trips made by the vessel to which the permit applies where tilefish and grouper are caught or targeted even if the permittee was not on board the vessel during every such trip.

D. Any permittee who did not participate in the tilefish and grouper recreational fishery season shall notify the commission of his lack of participation by the 15th day after the close of the tilefish and grouper recreational fishery seasons.

E. Any permittee who fails to report the harvest of any tilefish or grouper shall be ineligible to receive the permit in the year following the year in which that permittee failed to report. Any permittee who did not participate in the recreational tilefish and grouper recreational fishery seasons and fails to report no activity shall also be ineligible to receive the permit in the year following the year in which that permittee failed to report.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 25, Issue 21, eff. July 1, 2009; amended, Virginia Register Volume 33, Issue 10, eff. January 1, 2017.

Statutory Authority

§ 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.