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Panel considers deep‑bay patent‑tong expansion from New Point Comfort to Great Wicomico mouth
Summary
A Blue Ribbon subgroup recommended expanding the historic patent‑tong area to include deep bay bottoms from New Point Comfort to the mouth of the Great Wicomico to allow exploratory patent‑tong effort; staff said the expansion would open deep water November–March and asked SMAC for input on enforcement and sanctuary conflicts.
VMRC staff described a work‑group recommendation to significantly expand the area where patent tongs may operate, potentially opening deep‑water bay bottoms from New Point Comfort down to the mouth of the Great Wicomico for patent‑tong harvest during the season. The intent is to create more opportunity for patent‑tong operators, allow exploratory harvesting of historic deep rocks, and reduce crowding on a few traditional bars.
Staff said the deep rock (patent‑tong) season historically ran from November through March and that expanding the permitted area would give patent tong operators legal access to a wider swath of deep bay bottom where surveys and anecdotal reports show intermittent rock and oyster patches. Committee members raised enforcement, sanctuary proximity and the need to avoid opening recent sanctuary or stone placement areas.
Why it matters: patent tongs operate differently from hand‑scrape harvesters and can help spread harvest effort across deeper bottom that is less accessible to small boats, but opening large bay areas raises enforcement and sanctuary protection questions. Staff said they will refine polygons to avoid recent sanctuary and reef construction sites and return draft maps for committee review.
Ending: staff will draft specific polygons that exclude sanctuary and recent stone‑placement areas and circulate them to SMAC for comment before the next meeting.
