THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 22, 1995 TAG: 9503220547
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB HUTCHINSON, OUTDOORS EDITOR
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
After an unprecedented ban that lasted almost five months, recreational flounder fishing - with a 14-inch minimum and an eight-fish daily limit - was legalized Tuesday morning by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
The commission unanimously adopted an emergency regulation, effective immediately, that eliminated opening and closing dates for rod-and-reel flounder fishing.
Recreational flounder fishing on the East Coast was banned as of Oct. 31, 1994, as part of a plan to reverse a population decline. At the same time, quotas were set for East Coast commercial fishermen. Excessive catches by commercial and recreational fishermen were blamed for the decline.
Elimination of the seasonal closure is expected to have an immediate impact on the Eastern Shore, especially the fishing centers of Wachapreague, Quinby, Willis Wharf, Chincoteague and Oyster.
``This is great news for us,'' said David Parker, executive of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Chamber of Commerce. ``If a season has been forced on us, if we had to delay flounder fishing until May 1, it would have been a real business blow.''
Randy Lewis Jr., whose family operates the Wachapreague Marina and Hotel, praised the commission's decision.
``We've already lost some bookings,'' he said, ``but this is a big, big help.''
Last week in Philadelphia, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission agreed to eliminate the season. But the change did not become effective in the states until they voted on their specific proposals, as Virginia did Tuesday.
Jack Travelstead, head of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, said the decision in Philadelphia was based on a widespread understanding that limiting recreational fishing to a May 1-Oct. 31 season did little to help the fish.
``I don't think we'll ever see a season again unless things become really bad,'' Travelstead said. ``Instead of a season, I think you could see the bag limit go down or the minimum size increase if the population continues to decline.
``Hopefully, the restraints we now have in place will work and instead of a smaller bag limit, we'll have a larger limit.''
While Tuesday's action was adopted by an emergency regulation, the agency's staff will draft an identical permanent regulation. Its passage is virtually assured when the commission acts on it at its April 25 meeting. by CNB