Fishing with trawl nets and drag nets; shrimp and horseshoe crab; license fee; penalty.
Summary
HB1697 revises Virginia’s law governing the use of trawl nets and drag nets in state waters. The bill keeps the general prohibition on taking or catching fish, shellfish, or marine organisms with trawl or drag nets, and on buying or selling fish taken with those devices, but it expressly authorizes the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to issue licenses or permits for such gear within the three-mile limit of the Virginia Atlantic shoreline for the shrimp and horseshoe crab fisheries.
The bill also sets the license or permit fee at $100 per boat, unless later revised by the Commission under existing fee-setting authority. It preserves the criminal penalty for violations as a Class 1 misdemeanor. In addition, the bill repeals a separate Code section, 28.2-315, consolidating the trawl-net/drag-net rules into the amended 28.2-314.
Impact
The bill amends and reenacts Code of Virginia § 28.2-314 and repeals § 28.2-315, simplifying and narrowing the statutory framework for trawl and drag net fishing. Its practical effect is to create a clearer, single-section authorization for limited commercial use of these nets in the shrimp and horseshoe crab fisheries, while maintaining the broader prohibition elsewhere and preserving enforcement through misdemeanor penalties. The measure affects commercial fishermen, seafood buyers/sellers, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s licensing and permitting authority.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It advanced unanimously through a House subcommittee, the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee, the full House, the Senate committee, and the full Senate, with every recorded vote showing 0 nays. That voting pattern suggests the bill was viewed as a routine or technical fisheries management measure rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
No substantive contention is reflected in the available record. The main policy choice in the bill is to preserve the general ban on trawl and drag nets while carving out a limited exception for shrimp and horseshoe crab fisheries, and to keep the existing misdemeanor penalty. Any potential concerns would likely center on fisheries regulation, licensing costs, and the scope of the Marine Resources Commission’s permitting authority, but no opposing arguments or divided votes are shown in the provided materials.