THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, January 3, 1996             TAG: 9512300137
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN    PAGE: 08   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Cover Story 
SERIES: 1995: YEAR IN REVIEW 
SOURCE: BY LINDA McNATT, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   55 lines

WINTER '95 POOR SEASON FOR OYSTER HARVEST THIS SEASON HAS BEEN AS BAD AS ANYONE CAN RECALL, AND WATERMEN DON'T EXPECT FISHING TO GET MUCH BETTER.

Local watermen may remember 1995 as one of the worst years in the history of the James River.

Oystering wasn't good last winter. And it appears to be even worse this season.

On a recent December day, Joe Melzer of Dock Side Seafood in Battery Park said that only two oyster boats were working local waters, and that those were bringing in about six or seven bushels a day.

Last winter, when eight boats were working out of Dock Side, each was harvesting about 20 bushels daily. This season has been as bad as anyone can recall, Melzer said.

William R. ``Sonny'' Gay of Carrollton is among local watermen who decided not to bother with oysters in winter '95.

``I just finished with the rock fish,'' Gay said. ``They only gave me 260 tags. The fresh water that came down from the mountains in the flood last spring killed most of the oysters. It wasn't even worth trying.''

And the watermen don't see the potential for commercial fishing in the area to get much better. Crabbing was sparse last summer, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission is looking at new restrictions on crabs in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

Gay predicts that the VMRC will limit the number of pots allowed each crabber, that a sanctuary will be established for spawning female crabs and that a size limit could be put on soft crabs.

``There are so many restrictions; everything has been so overfished it's getting scarce,'' Gay said. ``It's not hardly worth it anymore.''

Gay said he guesses watermen will just have to wait and see what happens April 1, when crabbing season starts.

Melzer is more optimistic. ``The future looks good,'' he said. ``We've got to depend on that.''

He added, ``The river's going to come back. It's just not going to happen overnight.'' MEMO: [For related stories, also see pages 6 and 9 of The Citizen for this

date.]

ILLUSTRATION: File photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II

Watermen lament that 1995 was one of the worst years in the history

of the James River.

by CNB