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VMRC tweaks recreational rules: bluefish bag limits raised; black sea bass options sent to public hearing; February payback planned

Virginia Marine Resources Commission · March 31, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The commission set private/for‑hire bluefish bag limits equally at five fish, agreed to advertise alternative black sea bass options (including possible 12.5" and 13" minimums and season start dates) for April public comment, and directed staff on mid‑season closures to fulfill February black sea bass payback days.

At its March 31 meeting VMRC advanced several fisheries regulatory items. On bluefish, staff proposed increasing the private/shore bag from 3 to 5 fish and for‑hire to 7; commissioners voted to align private and for‑hire limits at 5 fish for both sectors to simplify enforcement and avoid sector separation confusion.

For black sea bass, staff presented two options…

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