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VMRC sets 2025 recreational Black Sea Bass season; staff adds one additional payback day
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Summary
The Marine Resources Commission approved VMRC staff’s recommended 2025 recreational management measures for black sea bass, setting season dates and reporting requirements; staff said February landings required an additional 'payback' closed day compared with last year.
VMRC sets 2025 recreational Black Sea Bass season; staff adds one additional payback day
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission approved amendments to the state recreational management measures for black sea bass at its May 27 meeting, adopting staff-recommended fishing-season dates, reporting requirements and a small increase in the season closure adjustment tied to February landings.
Chief (Gere) presented the annual recommendation required by Atlantic management rules and described how VMRC uses recent Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) data to calculate a "payback" requirement when the agency opens a February fishery. Staff reported the 2025 February recreational landings totaled about 28,176 pounds, derived from 12,817 fish reported by permitted anglers and an estimated average weight per fish from biological sampling.
Key facts presented by staff included:
- Permits and participation: 268 recreational permits were issued for the fishery; reporting rate was about 77 percent (72 permit holders reported trips and 135 reported no activity). There were approximately 115 reported trips.
- Landings and samples: Total reported harvest for the February component of the fishery was 28,176 pounds (12,817 fish). Staff obtains biological samples and uses them with MRIP to estimate pounds from reported fish numbers.
- Management outcome: Because the February landings required a payback adjustment, staff calculated that management requires nine "payback" closed days for 2025, one more than the prior year. Staff presented an open-season structure of May 15–July 15 and August 5–Dec. 31 for the 2025 recreational season; VMRC’s proposed amendments to 4VAC20-950-10 reflect those dates.
Staff said the Fisheries Management and Advisory Committee (FMAC) had no opposition to the proposed measures. After a short public-check period with no speakers on the item, Associate Member Branson moved to adopt the staff recommendation and Associate Member Hadley seconded. The commission took a voice vote and the motion passed.
The regulations approved require anglers participating in the fishery to have the mandatory recreational species permit (no fee) and comply with daily reporting and hail-in procedures so staff can collect biological samples when boats return. Staff advised that black sea bass effort is weather-sensitive and that recent years’ participation is concentrated among charter operations, which accounted for a large share of the reported February harvest.
