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Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters

Passed

P HB613

Saltwater recreational fishing license. Removes the seaside exemption from the requirement to have a saltwater fishing license when fishing in tidal waters. The bill exempts a person fishing from property he owns or rents, or his nonpaying guest or immediate family from having to obtain a saltwater recreational fishing license. Currently, the exemption is limited to the person who owns property or his nonpaying guest or immediate family member. Persons fishing from a federal park or reserve located on the Eastern Shore would also be exempted from having to obtain a license.
Patron - Bloxom

P HB646

Standards for use of coastal primary sand dunes; exemption. Exempts the Sandbridge Beach Subdivision from existing requirements relating to construction on coastal primary sand dunes. The bill provides that property owners with structures or property in clear and imminent danger from erosion and storm drainage shall be allowed to erect protective bulkheads or other equivalent structural improvements as approved by the Virginia Beach Wetlands Board. The bill also requires that the applicant consent in writing to the future construction of bulkheads tying into the applicant's bulkhead from adjacent properties. These provisions shall expire on January 1, 2006.
Patron - Suit

P HB921

Oyster grounds. Removes Public Ground Number 8, located in the Elizabeth River, from the Baylor Survey public oyster grounds and allows the bottomland to be used for private purposes. This bill is identical to SB 468.
Patron - Joannou

P HB978

Fishing Class II Guide License. Creates a fishing Class II guide license for owners of recreational headboats or charterboats, and includes fees and other requirements for obtaining such a license. An applicant for a Class II guide license must complete an apprenticeship program under a captain holding a Virginia guide license. This bill will not become effective unless it is reenacted by the 2003 Session of the General Assembly.
Patron - Pollard

P HB1293

Oyster grounds. Removes 0.39 acres of Public Ground Number 6 and 0.40 acres of Public Ground Number 7, located in the Lafayette River, from the Baylor Survey public oyster grounds and allows the bottomland to be used for private purposes.
Patron - Drake

P HJ164

Commercial oyster production. Proclaims support for the revitalization of the Virginia oyster industry and the continuation of efforts to establish commercial production of genetically sterile Crassostrea ariakensis within guidelines and parameters established by the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. The resolution also supports any ongoing research necessary to assess the ecological risks of introducing the Crassostrea ariakensis into the Commonwealth's public waters. However, if such research fails to prove within three years, that the Crassostrea ariakensis will be harmful to the public waters of the Commonwealth or the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, then the General Assembly suggests the introduction of the reproductive disease-resistant Crassostrea ariakensis into the public waters of the Commonwealth pursuant to guidelines and parameters established by the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. Finally, the resolution renews the Commonwealth's commitment to increase the native oyster by ten-fold by 2010 as outlined in the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement and encourages the continued and expanded federal-state cooperative efforts and the efforts of private organizations in this endeavor.
Patron - Pollard

P SB115

Ballast water reporting system. Designates the Hampton Roads Maritime Association as the Virginia Marine Resources' agent for collecting the Ballast Water Control Report forms filled out by ship operators. The bill also exempts an operator or a ship agent of an operator from having to file a report if the vessel's previous port of call is within the United States Exclusive Economic Zone and a report had been previously filed when the vessel entered its first U.S. port of call. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission will submit copies of the operators' reports to the national clearinghouse on a quarterly basis with the Hampton Roads Maritime Association submitting the reports to the Commission monthly for quarterly federal filing.
Patron - Bolling

P SB326

Virginia Marine Police; enforcement of federal safety zones and restricted areas. Changes the name of Virginia Marine Patrol to Virginia Marine Police. Adds protecting federal and state water-related installations from terrorist attack to Virginia Marine Police powers and duties. Provides the Virginia Marine Police with authority to patrol and enforce all federal safety zones and restricted areas located within the tidal waters of the Commonwealth.
Patron - Wagner

Failed

F HB363

Wetlands mitigation banking. Considers portions of U.S.G.S. cataloging units 02080108, 02080208, and 03010205 that are south of the James River to lie within the same river watershed for wetlands mitigation banking purposes.
Patron - Cosgrove

F SB319

Standards for use of coastal primary sand dunes; exemption. Exempts the Sandbridge Beach Subdivision from existing requirements relating to construction on primary sand dunes. The bill also provides that property owners with structures or property in clear and imminent danger from erosion and storm drainage shall be allowed to erect protective bulkheads or other equivalent structural improvements as approved by the Virginia Beach Wetlands Board, and requires that the applicant consent in writing to the future construction of bulkheads tying into the applicant's bulkhead from adjacent properties. These provisions shall expire on January 1, 2006.
Patron - Stolle

F SB468

Carried Over

C HB975

Crab pot tagging program. Requires the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to implement by regulation a crab pot tagging program to facilitate the enforcement and identification of crab pot licenses. Such regulations shall require that all crab pots be marked with an individual identification number and with other information as required by regulation. The provisions of this act will become effective on April 1, 2003, only if (i) reenacted by the 2003 Session of the General Assembly, and passed into law, and (ii) adequate funds have been appropriated.
Patron - Pollard

C SB297

Protection of certain female crabs; penalty. Makes it unlawful to catch, hold, possess, offer for sale, or sell an egg-bearing female crab or a female crab from which the egg pouch, sponge, or bunion has been removed. Any violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Patron - Chichester

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