a) The Commission proposes changes to the commercial striped bass tagging program requiring the use of two separate tags, each, for the Chesapeake Bay Area and the Coastal Area fisheries.  For the Chesapeake Area, one type of tag will be used only for striped bass 18-28 inches in total length, and a second type of tag will be used for any striped bass greater than or equal to 18 inches in total length.  Similar tagging is proposed for the Coastal Area fishery where the size intervals for separate tags are 28-34 inches and greater than or equal to 28 inches.  The purposes of the proposal are to reduce the harvest of large striped bass, to reduce the average sizes of striped bass in the two fisheries, and to stabilize the number of tags in the quotas for each fishery.

b) The Commission proposes to add requirements to improve compliance with the commercial striped bass tagging program, including:  a prohibition on possession of Chesapeake Area tags in the Coastal Area; issuance of one tag type at a time to fishermen eligible for both Chesapeake Area and Coastal Area tags; repeal of all Coastal Area transit permits; and, a requirement that vessels fishing for striped bass in the Coastal Area display a flag.

c) The Commission proposes to modify the prohibition on the use of gill nets with a stretched mesh 3 3/4 inches to 6 inches, from January 1 through March 25, in the James River, Back River, Poquoson River, York River, Mobjack Bay, Milford Haven, Piankatank River, and Rappahannock River, to allow the use of gill nets with a stretched mesh of 5 inches to 6 inches, in thesese areas during February.  The purpose of the proposal is to reduce the harvest of large striped bass (>28 inches).

d) The Commission proposes to establish a 7-inch maximum mesh size for all gill nets used in the striped bass Chesapeake Area fishery. The Commission also proposes to establish a maximum mesh size for gill nets used in the Coastal Area striped bass fishery.  The purpose of the proposal is to reduce the harvest of large striped bass (> 28 inches).

e) The Commission proposes to eliminate the temporary transfers of Chesapeake Area and Coastal Area commercial quota shares (tags); provided, the Commissioner, on a case-by-case basis may authorize temporary transfers of tags when conditions such as the health of the fisherman or a call to active military duty necessitate such a transfer.   The purpose of the proposal is to reduce the likelihood that transferred tags will be used to harvest large striped bass.

f) On September 27, 2005 the Marine Resources Commission adopted, under its emergency regulatory authority (Section 28.2-210 of The Code of Virginia), an amendment to the above regulation to allow any person, who is legally eligible to fish, to possess any striped bass tagged with a Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) fluorescent green tag, without that specially-tagged striped bass counting towards the personal recreational possession limit.  Permitted commercial striped bass ITQ holders shall not be required to apply a tamper evident, numbered tag provided by the Commission, in order to possess any striped bass tagged with a VIMS-inscribed green fluorescent tag.  The Commission proposes to make this amendment a permanent part of Regulation 4 VAC 20-252-10 et seq., at its October 25, 2005 meeting.

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