The Marine Resources Commission serves as stewards of Virginia's marine and aquatic resources, and protectors of its tidal waters and homelands, for present and future generations.

To ensure a healthy sustainable stock of marine and aquatic resources in the Commonwealth, while successfully balancing the competing needs of the commercial and recreational fishing industries, conserving and improving the habitat and environment of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, and providing a secure and safe environment to all who enjoy the benefits of the Commonwealth's tidal waters.

As employees of the Marine Resources Commission we will exercise the highest degree of integrity and diligence in serving as stewards of Virginia's marine and aquatic resources and as protectors of its tidal waters and homelands for present and future generations.

Established in 1875 as the Virginia Fish Commission, the Marine Resources Commission (MRC) is one of the oldest agencies in Virginia state government.  The Commission manages saltwater fishing and associated habitat, for both recreational and commercial species.  Fisheries Management staff work cooperatively with state, interstate, and federal organizations to promote sustainable fisheries for the benefit of Virginia’s commercial and recreational customers. The Agency also manages water bottoms in public trust for the citizens of the Commonwealth.  The Habitat Management Division works with citizens who wish to use water areas for piers or other water- dependent projects.  All management activity must balance both public and private interests.  The Law Enforcement Division, known as the Virginia Marine Police, patrols the waterways to enforce applicable laws and regulations, assists citizens in need, has homeland defense duties at the Ports of Hampton Roads and is part of the State's emergency preparedness team. Primary statutory authority for the Marine Resources Commission is found in Title 28.2 of the Code of Virginia, entitled Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters.

The agency will continue to focus on minimizing regulatory burden that inhibits normal business operations and promote efficiency in the utilization of fishery resources.

The Marine Resources Commission (MRC) expects increased involvement of federal and interstate organizations in the resource management process, with a trend toward increased fishery regulations and resource data collection and monitoring in a multispecies ecosystem context, requiring substantially more science and information than is currently available. New interstate and regional management policies on the taking of menhaden, which may pose significant personnel and financial hardship for the Commonwealth, as well as federal mandates that could affect management of sturgeon, summer flounder, striped bass, sea turtles and sea mammals.

The Commission is committed in its efforts to replenish Virginia's oyster resources and to support increasing shellfish aquaculture activities.

The ASMFC imposed a requirement to monitor a 2013 menhaden quota resulting in a 20 percent reduction in menhaden landings for Virginia. When stock assessments showed an increasingly healthy menhaden stock, quotas were relaxed but still resulted in an economic loss for the industry over landings levels prior to 2013.   Virginia is now allocated 78.66 percent of the coast wide landings quota for menhaden, following a recent allocation decision in late 2017 by the ASMFC. Previously Virginia enjoyed an almost 86 percent share of the coast wide allowable landings of menhaden.

The agency continues its efforts to establish a take reduction plan for the endangered sturgeon and endangered or threatened sea turtles and expects substantial economic impacts to Virginia’s gill net fishery once the plan is accepted by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).  

A longer term risk for Virginia’s fishery stocks is environmental change caused by climate shifts.  Many of the fish species targeted by Virginia fishermen are migratory, with some stocks having a center of abundance further south or north of the Chesapeake Bay.  Climate change is expected to substantially affect abundance and distribution of migratory species, for popular species like summer flounder, black sea bass and croaker. This will mean less fish available for harvest in the Bay. Temperature and sea level rise will impact habitat vital to juvenile fish, and water acidification will affect shellfish stocks.

The Marine Police expect an increased responsibility for homeland defense at the Ports of Hampton Roads, as well as continued search and rescue work and 24 hour, 7 day a week coverage of the waterways served by MRC. As the Virginia’s oyster resource continues to improve, there will be a growing need for the protection of that resource from poaching from public waters and condemned shellfish areas. The Virginia Marine Police placed, and will continue to place, a priority on enforcement in these areas.

With the huge success now occurring with Virginia’s oyster industry, the agency expects to see an increased emphasis on regulation and enforcement to comply with federal National Shellfish Sanitation Program mandates and to ensure that the State’s oyster stock is safeguarded.

The number of requests for habitat permits is expected to grow commensurate with population increases and development in Tidewater, generating an increased need to balance both the public and the private interests of the marine resources of the state.

A marked increase in the number of applications for oyster ground leases is expected and this will result in all associated issues being handled by small existing staff.

There are several agency responsibilities that continue to require existing employees to continue to absorb additional duties for: State-owned bottomlands above the Fall Line, Eastern Shore marshes, aquaculture, finance and contracting, search and rescue, patrol work, homeland defense, emergency preparedness, interstate and quota based fisheries management, and complex conservation efforts for an ever-increasing number of finfish species. This additional workload will become more problematic as many long-term employees with much institutional knowledge are expected to retire within the next five years or less. More complex review of shellfish aquaculture leasing and permitting issues continue to strain the current management team tasked with these issues.

Over the last decade, the use of non-general fund (NGF) revenue from the sale of a variety of licenses, permit and dredge fees has increasingly replaced use of General Fund (GF) dollars. Many key management and regulatory functions are now dependent on these less stable sources of funding. This reduces the agency’s ability to use these NGF for: fishery research, surveys, monitoring and stock assessments that provide the information to support MRC management and regulatory work that ensure Virginia’s full compliance with fishery plans from the interstate regional fisheries management organizations, and for projects to remove waterways obstructions from Virginia’s tidal waters.

Major IT investments underway include:

Commission IT staff manage fifteen custom business applications providing automation for most agency business processes including licensing, permitting, mapping, and many data collection and reporting features. This suite of business applications has provided the agency with more opportunity to offer additional citizen web access to agency data and business applications and to automate many internal processes.  Agency staff also help maintain infrastructure that includes over 80 Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA) assigned computers and 70 Virginia State Police (VSP) assigned computers for the Marine Police, maintains the agency public web site at mrc.virginia.gov, and the hundreds of associated devices. Information Technology

Plans/Needs:

Information Technology Plans/Needs:

All agency IT activities are very modest out of financial necessity, and are always directly aligned with the agency mission, goals, and objectives. We believe our low cost approach to application development has business value primarily in operational efficiency and attainment of strategic goals of the Agency, but in doing so they also contribute to improving and maintaining constituent service levels in an era of increasing demands and relatively limited personnel.

The IT changes planned for the next biennium are enhancements or desired functionality that will be added using primarily in-house staff.  In particular agency staff hope to continue efforts to offer application features better suited for mobile devices.

The agency does not anticipate any IT investments beyond in-house staff and VITA Service Fees during the 2022-2024 budget biennium.  

The average age of an agency employee is 46 years old.  The Marine Resources Commission has a number of tenured staff members with an impressive amount of institutional knowledge and understanding of the agency’s policies, practices, and history.  Nearly 43 percent of the MRC staff is 50 years or older and 17 percent of the agency staff has 20 years or more of State service.  About 20 percent of current staff will be eligible for unreduced retirement within the next five years.  This percentage includes all of the top administrators of the agency’s programs.

The agency continues to have the most turnover in the Fishery Management and Law Enforcement Divisions.  More competitive salaries and opportunities for upward mobility offered by other local, other state, federal, and private sector employers contribute to this turnover.  The Agency continues to evaluate staff salaries and career ladders in order to mitigate the effect of the loss of employees due to salaries that are typically lower than other state agencies, localities and the federal government.  In order to address that sufficiently we must work within the legislative budget process to increse available funding. The lack of sufficient budget funds is a current deterrent in solving this important issue.

Without devoted funding to this issue, the Marine Resources Commission is unable to ensure that succession planning is in place so that there is continuity in the delivery of services to clients as the key management positions and longtime employees exit our employ. Loss of a highly competent workforce will be significant, but in most divisions and departments there currently is knowledgeable and experienced staff that could, with some additional funding, training, and experience, make a smooth transition into positions of those leaving.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission headquarters have been located on Fort Monroe since 2019 which is leased.    Additional leased office space is located in Gloucester (Middle Area), Belle Haven (Eastern Shore), and Heathsville (Northern Area).

The Agency-owned Operations Station (Southern Area)  is located in the Newport News Small Boat Harbor.  

Agency efforts to streamline and remove regulatory hurdles coupled with technological advances in shellfish aquaculture techniques have led to a very rapid expansion of the shellfish aquaculture industry resulting in a growing number of conflicts between the shellfish growers and the public who share in common the waters and submerged lands.

Shell cultch, the basic building material for public oyster bed restoration and for private aquaculture production is becoming increasingly scarce and much more expensive. Trials to use alternate cultch for oyster spat attachment have found this to be financially viable, but the materials used are much denser, more difficult to harvest and not suitable for all of the oyster grounds where shell could be used.

New fisheries management plan addendums with potential for new regulation are expected in 2022-2024 from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council for popular recreational species like cobia and black sea bass, and important commercial and recreational species such as striped bass. Climate change models based on increase in temperature alone, are projecting lower abundances of many mid-Atlantic fish stocks as it is expected these stocks will move northerly. At the same time climate change effects on reproduction and survival of early stage life history of fish stocks is unknown.

In the last 16 plus years a Joint Enforcement Agreement (JEA) between MRC and the National Marine Fisheries Service has provided the only stable source of funding for the agency Law Enforcement Division to purchase equipment, primarily boats, trailers, motors, and vehicles. In 2019-2022, JEA funding covered man-hours for patrol activities and enforcement. JEA funds are no longer used for direct purchases of equipment, boats, trailers, motors, and vehicles

Funding reductions are expected. Other budget reductions and steadily rising support costs for Marine Police Officers greatly impact how the agency provides and maintains core management, regulatory and enforcement services and supplies the variety of equipment needed to support the Law Enforcement Division.

Recent and expected continued increases in sea level present challenges for the management of tidal wetland resources. Tidal wetland vegetation exists within specific tidal elevation ranges and has the ability to trap sediments and rise and keep pace with moderate increases in sea level, but rapid increases in sea level greatly stress these valuable resources.

A marked increase in the number of permit applications for shellfish aquaculture enclosures, both on bottom and floating apparatus is occurring, often creating considerable user conflicts in many locations. Such permit related conflicts are handled, along with similarly contested lease applications by a relatively small staff. 

The budget for the Marine Resources Commission (MRC) for the 2022 – 2024 biennium, as appropriated in Chapter 2, 2022 Acts of Assmebly, Special Session I, provide an appropriation in year one of $34,564,621 in year one and $30,039,321 in year two. General Funds in year one ($21,211,228) comprise 62% of the agency’s budget and in year two ($17,033,534) comprise 57% of the agency’s budget. The remaining 38% of the agency’s budget in year one (FY2023) is comprised of a variety of non-general funds which constitute a vital part of the budget.  These non-general funds come from the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, dedicated special revenues, and Federal Funding in the form of grants.

The Commonwealth Transportation Funds come from un-refunded motor fuel taxes collected from the sale of gasoline used in motor vessels.  These funds partially fund the Law Enforcement Dispatchers.  Special fund revenues consist primarily of monies collected from the sale of commercial fishing licenses, the sale of recreational saltwater fishing licenses, the collection of an oyster resource user fee from those that work in the various facets of the Commonwealth’s oyster fishery, from the small portion of indirect costs taken on federally funded projects coming into the agency and from monies collected when the agency surpluses equipment that is no longer viability usable by the agency. Dedicated special revenues are derived from the assessment of various habitat permit fees for permitted activity within the MRC's jurisdiction and from the assessment of royalties for non-exempt encroachments and dredging operations. The Federal Fund appropriations represent the best estimates during biennial budget preparation of all the federal monies that the MRC could potentially receive from federal programs.

Chapter 2 includes adjustments from last fiscal years appropariotn for the agency that include the distribution of centrally funded cost,  adjustments for the approved statewide salary increases for FY2023 and FY2024 and a one-time bonus for Marine Police Law Enforcement officers in FY2023.

In addition to the adjustments for centrally funded costs and statewide salary increases and one-time bonuses, the 2022 Acts of Assembly appoved a one-time state funding match for the Chincoteague Inlet Study, funding in FY2023 for the removal of derelict vessels in the Commonwealth, additional funding for Habitat Management, an additional Fisheries Observer in the Fisheries Management Program and an additioanl IT position for information technology and web development. 

Agency revenue collections have taken on increasing importance as core programs such as Fisheries Management and Law Enforcement have successively lost General Funding but have maintained services, with the approval of the Administration and the General Assembly, by replacing these lost General Funds by using a variety of non-general fund revenues.

Special fund revenues consist primarily of monies collected from the sale of commercial fishing licenses, the sale of recreational saltwater fishing licenses, the collection of an oyster resource user fee from those that work in the various facets of the Commonwealth’s oyster fishery, from the small portion of indirect costs taken on federally funded projects coming into the agency and from monies collected when the agency surpluses equipment that is no longer viably usable by the agency. The Commonwealth Transportation Funds come from un-refunded motor fuel taxes collected from the sale of gasoline used in motor vessels. Dedicated special revenues are derived from the assessment of various habitat permit fees for permitted activity within the MRC's jurisdiction and from the assessment of royalties for permitted dredging operations. The Federal Fund appropriations represent our best estimates during biennial budget preparation of all the federal monies that the MRC could potentially receive from federal programs. The agency currently receives federal funding (Fund 1000) from the Department of Commerce, NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The following table provides a snapshot of the most recent key statistics related to agency operations.

Agency statistics below are mostly for calendar year 2018.  Most agency customer levels are considered stable, with some moderate increases in shellfish lease and habitat permit applications.  Commercial fisheries customer levels show some slight decline but are still considered stable (e.g. number of licensed commercial watermen, seafood buyers, and shucking houses).

Development of management and regulatory measures to enable both a sustainable and financially viable commercial and recreational marine fishery in the Commonwealth and to work to ensure that there is a fair and equitable allocation of all harvestable marine resources

Protection and regulation of the private use and development of the Commonwealth’s coastal lands, including submerged lands, tidal wetlands and coastal primary sand dunes/beaches by maintaining a permit review process based on public interest reviews consistent with the Public Trust doctrine to fairly and timely balance private uses of State-owned submerged lands and the need to preserve habitat

Administration of a private shellfish ground leasing program and shellfish aquaculture permitting.

Replenishment and restoration through construction and maintenance of public oyster beds, transplanting of seed oysters, management of the public oyster grounds, and promotion of hatchery-based shellfish aquaculture

Maintenance of the surveys and maps required for public oyster grounds, the Virginia-Maryland border, leased shellfish grounds, condemned shellfish areas and seed/shell plant areas, tidal waterways and shorelines, and the 28,000 acres of un-granted marshes and meadowlands as well as maps and court testimony concerning shellfish law and regulatory violations to assist the Law Enforcement Division.

Search, rescue and public safety, including marine radio communications and dispatch services and performance of homeland security responsibilities at the ports of Hampton Roads

Enforcement of commercial and recreational fisheries regulations in the Commonwealth by ensuring compliance with state, interstate, and federal fishery management plans for marine fisheries, providing cooperative enforcement of federal programs on offshore fisheries and enforcing state and federal health and safety laws for marine species

Promotion of marine recreational fishing in the Commonwealth by administering an awards program recognizing trophy catches, public access improvement and other activities, and by the construction and maintenance of artificial fishing reefs.

Continued efforts to restore Virginia’s oyster fishery have resulted in consistent and stable or increasing oyster harvest, with stable or increasing oyster populations. The total oyster harvest from public oyster grounds, privately leased oyster grounds and oyster farming operations grew from 95,000 bushels in the 2008 – 2009 season to 500,000 bushels or more since the 2013-2014 season. Dockside value has increased from $3.5 million a decade ago to more than $40 million in recent years. The Virginia Bay Wide oyster population has reached a 30-plus year high.

The Virginia Marine Police has maintained perfect ratings in 2010 through 2021 by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration for its outstanding enforcement of shellfish harvesting rules and regulations ensuring that Virginia oysters meet all applicable safety laws and regulations and as such do not endanger the oysters’ end consumers. This is a direct result of continuous inspections, marketing and reporting of condemmed oyster grounds.

Between 2011 and 2015 the Marine Police issued an average of 208 summonses per year relating to oysters, nearly three times the summons issued in the prior five years. In 2016 and 2017 there were only an average of 115 oyster summons. It appears that increased enforcement activity, and Commission license actions against oyster regulation violators, may have significantly decreased violations and oyster poaching.

The Habitat Management Division revised and updated its Wetlands Guidelines in 2021, in accordance with VA Code §28.2-104.1.C, and is continuing to review and edit the Guidelines in 2022. The Wetlands Guidelines assist the Local Wetlands Boards as they perform a citizen-based administration of their programs in accordance with Chapter 13 (tidal wetlands) of the Code, aiming to effectively balance tidal wetlands preservation with protection and use of private property. 

In June of 2019 Governor Northam signed two bills that will help support Virginia's oyster and clam aquaculture industry and others who use Virginia's tidal waters. The legislation intends to alleviate conflicts in the Lynnhaven River among the many stakeholders who use the waterway and the second modernizes the state code and improves the review of lease applications for aquaculture operations.

A Shellfish Management Division was created at the end of 2021. This new division comprises the Engineering/Surveying Department (formerly part of the Habitat Management Division) and the Conservation and Replenishment Department (formerly part of the Fisheries Management Division). This division combines agency shellfish management of both the public shellfish grounds and private leasing and permitting of aquaculture into a more efficient management body for the shellfish industry and the public..

During the COVID-19 pandemic, funding was made available to fisheries from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).  The agency was tasked with developing an application and review process to distribute funds to eligible applicants. Agency staff worked closely with NOAA, the ASMFC, and industry members to efficiently solicit and review applications and distribute over $8.1 million in CARES Act funds to eligible applicants ($4,482,898 during th 2020 program and $3,697,270 during the 2021 program). Agency staff created an online application portal to collect and verify applicant information in a secure and efficient manner. An outdoor drop box was also added to assist applicants who wished to turn in paper applications and other items directly to the Commission. The agency efficiently reviewed applications and worked with the ASMFC to distribute funds from both CARES Act funding programs directly to industry members. 

Ongoing efforts continue to provide additional funds to seafood processors and dealers as defined in the 2021 Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety (SPRS) Block Grant Program. Agency staff are currently completing this distribution program and will provide funding to applicants directly in 2022. All programs combined have provided approximately $9.6 million in funds to industry members. Marine Resources staff remain dedicated to completion of the current pandemic-related grant programs and to the facilitation of any future programs to benefit the fishing industry in Virginia. 

The agency is successfully transitioning the collection of seafood harvest records by the Mandatory Harvest Reporting Program to an online interface. The development of online web applications from the IT department, fisheries staff, and advisory committees has increased efficiency of data collection while reducing costs associated with paper reporting (data typing, materials purchasing). Individuals reporting online increased from 340 in 2019 to 1,143 in 2022, which coincides with an increase from 20% to 95% of all harvest records during that same time period.

The Virginia General Assembly transferred management authority of Atlantic menhaden to the Marine Resources Commission in March of 2020. This was in response to a 2019 non-compliance finding with the ASMFC’s fishery management plan for that species. The transfer of authority avoided the consequences of the non-compliance finding that had the potential to close the fishery in state waters. Additionally in 2020, the ASMFC adopted Ecological Reference Points for Atlantic menhaden which account for menhaden’s role as a forage species. As a result, the total coastwide allowable catch was reduced by 10% to allow enough menhaden to remain in the water to provide a food source for various predator species, such as striped bass. The agency continues to dedicate resources and staff to these multispecies ecosystem modeling efforts. 

By managing the commercial fisheries of Virginia waters and select fisheries from federal waters on a long-term sustainable basis, the economic output of the fisheries is improved. Compliance with interstate and federal fishery management plans will ensure the availability of sustainable resources for Virginia’s citizens. This aligns with the Natural and Historic Resources objective of increasing the outdoor experiences for all Virginians.

To ensure that conservation and management measures promote a sustainable yield from the fisheries, by efficient utilization of fishery resources, without over harvesting, and promote fair and equitable allocation of harvestable resources among user groups.

• Continue to develop fishery management and conservation plans for marine and estuarine species, continue to comply with federal and interstate fishing plan mandates, and continue to develop and promulgate regulations for fish sizes, gear restrictions, season and area closures, and quota management. On a yearly basis, continue to monitor and review the amount of key finfish, crabs, oysters, and clams landed in Virginia in millions of pounds as taken from state and federal landings data.

Continued efforts to develop conservation measures for shellfish and continued efforts to conduct replenishment activities on public oyster grounds.

• Create and rehabilitate public oyster grounds and develop regulations to aid continued shellfish harvest.

Conservation and protection of fishery and habitat resources is vital, and necessary for their sustainability. Proper enforcement ensures availability of the resources on a fair and equitable basis to all user groups. Ability to respond to Homeland Defense and Search and Rescue responsibilities protects Virginia's citizens who live near, work on, or enjoy the State's marine resources and waterways, and ensures a fair and effective system of justice and provides a prepared response to emergencies and disasters of all kinds

• Interact and educate all user groups via patrol activities conducted by Marine Police Officers.

• Issue legally justifiable summons, done in full compliance with applicable state laws and regulations.


• Annual training for Marine Police Officers in species identification, newly enacted laws and regulations, shellfish handling, boating accident investigations, search and rescue operations, and security patrols for high value targets.

Promotion of a sustainable recreational fishery assists citizens in achieving a higher level of well being and improves economic outputs based on increased tourism and travel. Compliance with fishery management plans ensures the availability of abundant recreational fishery resources. This aligns with two of the Commonwealth's objectives - to be a national leader in the preservation and enhancement of our economy and to protect, conserve and wisely develop our natural, historical and cultural resources.

Continued promotion of saltwater recreational fishing opportunities in the Commonwealth through an award program recognizing exceptional catches, conservation of recreational fisheries by promotion of a catch and release program and continued promotion of tourism and travel in Tidewater Virginia.

• Continuation of promotional activities of saltwater recreational fishing in Virginia by activities with sportswriters, tourist agencies, recreational angling clubs and continuation of the annual Saltwater Fishing Tournament program. Continuation of promotion, through same mediums, of catch and release fisheries in the Commonwealth.

This goal is designed to balance the public and private benefits of a particular lease or permit application to ensure that the Commonwealth's Public Trust responsibilities are adequately considered while protecting, and accommodating, use of our invaluable marine and aquatic resources for and by future generations. This also aligns with two of the Commonwealth's objectives - to be a national leader in the preservation and enhancement of our economy and to protect, conserve and wisely develop our natural, historical and cultural resources.

This objective is designed to balance the public and private benefits of a particular lease or permit application to ensure that the Commonwealth's Public Trust responsibilities are adequately considered while protecting, and accommodating, use of our invaluable marine and aquatic resources for and by future generations. This also aligns with two of the Commonwealth's objectives - to be a national leader in the preservation and enhancement of our economy and to protect, conserve and wisely develop our natural, historical and cultural resources.

• Manage an application processing system that balances the public and private benefits of a particular lease application to ensure that the Commonwealth's Public Trust responsibilities are adequately considered while protecting, and accommodating, use of the State's marine and aquatic resources for and by future generations.

Conservation and protection of fishery and habitat resources is a vital element, necessary for their sustainability. Proper enforcement ensures availability of the resources on a fair and equitable basis to all user groups. Ability to respond to Homeland Defense and Search and Rescue responsibilities protects Virginia's citizens who live near, work on, or enjoy the State's marine resources and waterways. This aligns with two of the Commonwealth's goals - to protect, conserve and wisely develop our natural , historical and cultural resources, and to protect the public safety and security, ensuring a fair and effective system of justice and providing a prepared response to emergencies and disasters of all kinds.

Conservation and protection of fishery and habitat resources is vital, and necessary for their sustainability. Proper enforcement ensures availability of the resources on a fair and equitable basis to all user groups. Ability to respond to Homeland Defense and Search and Rescue responsibilities protects Virginia's citizens who live near, work on, or enjoy the State's marine resources and waterways, and ensures a fair and effective system of justice and provides a prepared response to emergencies and disasters of all kinds

• Interact and educate all user groups via patrol activities conducted by Marine Police Officers.

• Issue legally justifiable summons, done in full compliance with applicable state laws and regulations.


• Annual training for Marine Police Officers in species identification, newly enacted laws and regulations, shellfish handling, boating accident investigations, search and rescue operations, and security patrols for high value targets.

Maintaining the existing high level of financial and business excellence for the Marine Resources Commission will allow for the best allocation of agency resources and will ensure that full support is given to the achievement of the goals for Fisheries Management, Habitat Management and Law Enforcement. This will align with the economic long-term objectives of the Commonwealth, and with the objective to be the best-managed state in the nation.

Maintaining the existing high level of financial and business excellence for the Marine Resources Commission will allow for the best allocation of agency resources and will ensure that full support is given to the achievement of the goals for Fisheries Management, Habitat Management, Conservation and Replenishment Department, and Law Enforcement. This will align with the economic long-term objectives of the Commonwealth, and with the objective to be the best-managed state in the nation.

• To manage agency resources well and effectively in the areas of Human Resource Management, Government Procurement, Financial Management, Technology, Performance Management, Business Management and Internal Auditing.

This activity collects and analyzes biological and statistical information on both interjurisdictional and resident fishery stocks and includes harvest and fishing effort data and biological attributes of the populations. Catch quotas and allocations of harvest are tracked. Fisheries conservation plans and regulations are prepared.

The collection and analysis of biological and statistical information, tracking of harvest and landing quotas and allocations to the user groups of that harvest, and preparation of fisheries conservation plans and regulations all serve to support the agency's mission to serve as stewards of the Commonwealth's marine and aquatic resources for present and future generations.

Title 28.2 - Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters

Funding for this service area come from a variety of sources – General ($802,404), Special and Federal Funds ($590,512)

The General Fund supports the payment of Virginia’s yearly dues to two interstate compact organizations - the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Mandatory Reporting Program, the Plans and Statistics Program,ad the Dependent Stock Assessment Program.  

Special Funds provide additioanal support to the Dependent Stocl Assessment Program and Federal Funds support the ASMFC-ACCSP Access Point Angler Intercept Study and the Sturgeon/Turtle Endangered Species Grant.

This service area is responsible for the following activities: patrolling the tidal waters and shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay, its tidal tributaries and territorial sea; enforcing marine fishery and habitat conservation laws and regulations; enforcing health laws pertaining to the harvesting of seafood from condemned areas; enforcing or assisting other agencies in enforcing laws pertaining to the removal of obstructions and abandoned vessels from the water, to boating operation and navigation, and to larceny on the water; providing for water-borne safety; conducting search and rescue activities; protecting from terrorist attack federal and state water-related installations and other water-related locations within the tidal waters of the Commonwealth as may be designated by federal or state officials as important to national security; and investigating and enforcing violations of federal laws that pertain to marine wildlife and fish, based on signed Memorandums of Understanding.

The activities listed above relate directly to the agency’s mission to serve as stewards of Virginia’s marine and aquatic resources for present and future generations. The agency would not be able to perform the activities described in the agency mission statement without the services of the agency Law Enforcement Division whose employees encompass slightly more than 50% of the agency FTE allocation.

Title 28.2 - Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters

This service area receives support from the general fund ($6,066,300) and special funds ($2,569,531)  and federal funds ($1,403,287).

General Fund support of this service has been reduced in response to general fund budget reductions.  In order to maintain the core service functions of this service area the reductions have been supplanted with funding from the sale of commercial and recreational fishing licenses and the use of federal grant monies.

This activity enhances the use of fishery resources through augmentation of existing, artificial fishing reef sites, through a variety of methods, in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, and offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. New habitat provides niches for many species in addition to providing recreational fishing opportunities.

This activity enhances recreational fishing activity in the Commonwealth for current and future generations.

Title 28.2 - Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters

This service area is entirely funded by support from the Salt Water Recreational Fishing Development Fund ($69,520) that supports a small portion of the salaries of two FTE’s in that fund that lend their expertise in this area and for the support of minimal equipment and fuel expenses for the monitoring of the deployment of reef materials.  They rely heavily on the donation of materials of opportunity due to limited funding availability.

This activity is responsible for management of all commercial and recreational marine fisheries in Virginia. Fishery management and conservation plans are developed for marine and estuarine species. Regulations are promulgated by the Commission for fish sizes, gear restrictions, season and area closures, quota management and limited entry.

This activity is responsible for management of all commercial and recreational marine fisheries in the Commonwealth, which is an integral part of the agency's mission to serve as stewards of the Commonwealth's marine and aquatic resources for present and future generations.

Title 28.2 - Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters

This service area receives funding from the general fund ($929,099), special funds and federal funds ($5,180,531).  

General funds supply funding for the personnel and operating costs of the Fisheries Management activities.  The two licensing funds (special funds) provide matching dollars for the federal monies the agency receives each year from grants from the Department of the Interior. These federal Sport Fish Restoration Grant funds of approximately $1.8 million dollars are received annually, and are allocated primarily to VIMS for approved research projects that impact several fisheries species, such as striped bass, river herring and american shad. Many of these research projects have been funded for twenty or more years.

As mandated by the legislature, the agency will to continue the Saltwater Sport Fishing Tournament however, no funds have been provided by the General Assembly for this purpose. The agency will continue to utilize the Saltwater Recreational Fishing Fund for this purpose.  

This service area was combined with 51002 during the 2022 legilative session and subsequently approved via Chapter 2. 

See Service Area 50509

See service area 50509

This activity is responsible for developing conservation measures for shellfish, and conducting replenishment activities on public oyster grounds, and assisting with restoration efforts.  This service area administers the Commonwealth’s shellfish (oyster/clam) ground leasing program, maintains the surveys and maps of the public (i.e. “Baylor”) oyster grounds, as well as numerous other surveys and maps of the Commonwealth’s tidal waterways, shorelines, and sea/shell plant areas. It also has responsibility for the surveying and identification of ungranted marsh and meadowlands on the Eastern Shore. This service area also assists with Law Enforcement cases providing field locations, mapping of violations and court testimony. This service area also assists with the location of fixed fishing devices and mapping of such devices, for permitting by the Fisheries Division. This service area also assists with location information of leases, public grounds, and other information related to permitting by the Shellfish Management Division.

As this area is responsible for oyster conservation and restoration programs in the Commonwealth, it directly relates to the agency's mission to serve as stewards of the Commonwealth's marine and aquatic resources for current and future generations.  This service area directly relates to the agency's mission to serve as stewards of the Commonwealth's marine and aquatic resources for present and future generations, by administering the Commonwealth's shellfish leasing program, protecting ungranted marsh and meadowlands and providing survey and mapping services for the tidal waterways.

The Shellfish Management Program was approved in Chapter 2 but was inadvertantly not established in program 50509.  This funding was moved from Program 50508 and 51002 to create this newly formed Program.

This program currently consist of General Funds ($4,413,425) and special and federal fund appropriation of ($2,656,907).  

This service area has responsibility for the implementation of a regulatory review process and permitting program for encroachments in state waters over state-owned submerged or bottom lands (both tidal and non-tidal), and for the use or development of coastal primary sand dunes/beaches and tidal wetlands. It also has responsibility for the ballast water management program, and for management of the ungranted marshes and meadowlands lying on the Eastern Shore. The Coastal Lands Management service area serves as the central clearinghouse for the receipt and distribution of the Joint Permit Application (JPA) used throughout the Commonwealth by numerous federal, state and local agencies.

This service area directly relates to the agency's mission to serve as stewards of the Commonwealth's marine and aquatic resources for present and future generations, by protecting the Commonwealth's valuable state-owned submerged lands, state-owned riverbeds, coastal primary sand dunes/beaches, tidal wetlands and state waters.

Title 28.2 - Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters

Title 62.1. Waters of the State, Ports and Harbors

The Service Area receives support from the General Fund ($5,783,214), and Special Funds and Federal Funds ($959,431)

General funds allocated to this service area also include appropriations that are dedicated in year one for special purposes:  Virginia’s share of an Army Corps of Engineers project to support the Chincoteague Inlet Study ($1,500,000) and a Derelict Boat Removal Program ($3,000,000)

The Marine Habitat & Waterways Improvement Fund (WIF) receives monies from habitat permit and dredging fees, civil charges and encroachment fees. .

Federal Funds allocated to Coastal Lands and Bottom Lands Management are received from a grant from the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

This service area was combined with 50508 during the 2022 legilative session and subsequently approved via Chapter 2. 

See service area 50509

See service area 50509

This activity promotes saltwater recreational fishing opportunities and conservation ethics in Virginia through a yearlong Saltwater Fishing Tournament which recognizes exceptional catches and releases through an angler citation awards program, and benefits Virginia’s economy through travel and tourism promotion.

Promotion of saltwater recreational fishing and conservation ethics in the Commonwealth, directly relates to the agency's mission to serve as stewards of the Commonwealth's marine and aquatic resources for current and future generations.

Title 28.2 - Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters

This service area is fully funded from monies received from the sale of saltwater recreational fishing licenses ($220,000), and support two FTE. 

This service area contains the areas of finance, budgeting, grants management, administration, procurement, business management, human resources, information technology for agency business systems, and licensing services. It also supports the agency head and the advisory board of the Marine Resources Commission (MR

The Administration and Support Services area provides support to the other agency divisions that regulate and manage the tidal fisheries and their habitat. Financial, business, information technology and human resource management are critical to agency performance.

Title 28.2 - Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters