A Norfolk Circuit Judge has rejected an appeal by watermen to lift the winter crab dredging ban. The ban affects 37 crabbers. The watermen argued that the VMRC had overstepped their jurisdiction in banning the winter dredging, and that only the General Assembly had that authority. VMRC imposed the dredging ban as part of a 34% harvest reduction designed to prevent the complete collapse of the Bay’s crab population. Further deterioration in the Bay’s crab population could bring additional harvest restrictions which would impact 200 to 600 crabbers.

We also reported a few weeks ago about the recent pound net applications in the Cape Henry – Lynnhaven area. Below is the recent ruling on those applicaitons.

In its Nov 25 meeting, VMRC rejected an application for two pound nets in the Cape Henry – Lynnhaven area. One was to be located 500 feet from shore, the other 1600 feet out. The primary opposition centered on the interference that the nets would pose to recreation and their threat to dolphin. There have been 40 dolphin deaths attributed to area nets in the last 10 years.

A proposal for a pound net 3,000 feet off Windmill Point was approved.