Section 65. Maximum mesh size and tending requirements

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, set or fish any gill net with a stretched mesh of greater than or equal to seven inches in Virginia waters east of the COLREGS Line and north of the North Carolina-Virginia border and south of Wachapreague Inlet (37° 34.6' N) from April 1 through January 14, except as described in 4VAC20-320-65 and 4VAC20-252-135.

B. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, set or fish any gill net with a stretched mesh of greater than or equal to seven inches in Virginia waters east of the COLREGS Line and north of Wachapreague Inlet (37° 34.6' N) and south of Chincoteague (37° 56.0') from April 16 through January 14, except as described in 4VAC20-320-65 and 4VAC20-252-135.

C. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, set or fish any anchored gill net with a stretched mesh of greater than or equal to seven inches east of the COLREGS Line and north of the North Carolina-Virginia border and south of the Maryland-Virginia border in Virginia waters from sunset to sunrise from June 1 through October 31 unless that fisherman remains within 0.5 nautical miles of the closest portion of each anchored gill net, except as described in 4VAC20-320-65.

D. Any anchored gill net with a stretched mesh of greater than or equal to seven inches set east of the COLREGS Line and north of the North Carolina-Virginia border in Virginia waters and south of the Maryland-Virginia border and fished from sunset to sunrise from June 1 through October 31, must be brought back to port with the vessel, except as described in 4VAC20-320-65.

E. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, set or fish any gill net with a stretched mesh of greater than or equal to seven inches east of the COLREGS Line and north of the North Carolina-Virginia border and south of the Maryland-Virginia border in Virginia waters from sunset to sunrise from November 1 through December 31, except as described in 4VAC20-252-135.

F. Any gill net with a stretched mesh of greater than or equal to seven inches set east of the COLREGS Line and north of the North Carolina-Virginia border and south of the Maryland-Virginia border in Virginia waters and fished from sunset to sunrise from November 1 through December 31, must be brought back to port with the vessel, except as described in 4VAC20-252-135.

G. Mesh measurement is defined as the inside stretched distance between two knots on opposite sides of the same mesh.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 21, Issue 18, eff. May 1, 2005.

Statutory Authority

§§ 28.201 and 28.2-236 of the Code of Virginia.