Its Sunday Stupid! Please Read this one.

[jack1747]

Ok, for you folks that don’t know it, It is illegal for a holder of a Recreation Crab License in Virginia to attend his or her pots(traps) on Sunday.  

So today, Sunday, I get a call that means the boss and I need to drive to Baltimore for at least two days.  Fished the pots on Saturday and re-baited figuring that we would fish them again Monday.  But that’s not going to happen.  The crabs that are in the pots tonight will be out of food by this time Monday.  Does that make any sense?  Good crabs starving to death because I couldn’t go to them today, to at least let them free.  Yea, I know, we were going to eat them anyway but it’s a waste to just let them die.

Law says we need to attend pots to keep crabs from just being left to die but Legally I cant even ask my neighbor to set them free.  He can not touch someone else’s pot, etc.

Let’s say you are a weekender.  You drive to your favorite spot on Friday and put out your pots.  The best catch will be on Sunday but with a Rec license you can’t touch them.  You got to be home Sunday night for work on Monday.  No crabbing for you.  Why?


The VMRC has a link to this website on theirs.  So I would think, that somebody there is at least once in awhile reading some of the posts here.
 

[TomPowers]

Send your concerns to Jack Travelstead and ask him to forward it to the Commissioners.  

jtravelste@mrc.state.va.us

Also send a copy to Commissioner Bill Pruitt at:

bpruitt@mrc.state.va.us

He is in charge.

Tom

[Steve]

I think we all need to pull together on this and petition the VMRC to change its rules.

Being a waterfront property owner, each member of my household (including myself) is allowed to fish two crabpots whenever we like (with no license). But, should I purchase a $35.00 recreational crabpot license, I can work five crabpots, but only Monday-Saturday.

So, paying for a recreational crabpot license gives me three more pots to work, but I lose a day to do it. This just doesn't make any sense.

This law needs to be changed.

Can members of this forum get together and write some letters to the people that Tom Powers suggested?

[CRABGUY]

MR. POWERS QUESTION FOR YOU


THE WAY I READ THE REGULATION YOU CANT CRAB ON SUNDAY THE 5 POTS YOU HAVE ON THE 5 POT LICENSE,
MARKED WITH THE LAST 4 OF TOUR DL# AND AN R.
RIGHT OK.
SO DOES THAT MEAN AS A PERSON I CANT CRAB (WITH 2 DIFFERENT POTS) ON SUNDAY DUE TO THE FACT I HAVE A 5 POT LICENSE?

[Tom Powers]

There are some that say that even those who use the two pot exemption have to mark their pots with R####.  I still have not figured that one out  as the rule about marking pots says the "licensee’s" numbers.  There is no “licensee” when you fish under the exemption.

There is a law somewhere that says the most an individual can use (i.e. have in the water) is 5 per person.  So having 5 plus 2 for Sunday does not cut it if they are all in the water at the same time.

So what I think is that you would have to pull up three of your pots on Saturday, and your other two pots are your exemption pots and you are fishing based on state code which allows ANYONE to work 2 pots for personal use only at any time.  State code does not say that licensed recreational crabber are not eligible for that exemption.

Next is the fuzzy part. . . IF you took your two kids out on Sat. AND you changed the buoys on three of your pots so that they had your kid’s numbers on them, (you could even add another pot for that matter) then you could take your two kids out with you on Sunday and work 5 or 6 pots.

Tom

[jack1747]

Send an email to the Governor!
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/Contact/email_form.html

Lets make this a FIGHT!

[jack1747]

http://www.blue-crab.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=1026

Do you crab Gov. Warner?

I sent an email to the folks Tom posted and to Gov. Warner.  Lets see if they respond.

[CRABGUY]

HMMMMMM MY POTS DONT HAVE BOUYS
THE POTS ARE TAGGED WITH THE #S

JACK HOW ABOUT POSTING YOUR E-MAIL(OR IM)
SO WE CAN ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE??

[jack1747]

4 VAC 20-670-30. GEAR RESTRICTIONS.
G. It shall be unlawful for any person licensed to use five crab pots under this chapter to fish these crab pots on Sunday.

I do not understand the purpose of the provision which prohibits any person licensed to use five crab pots for recreational crabbing, from fishing these crab pots on Sunday.  Would you please explain its intent.

I have heard that repealing 4 VAC 20-670-30 has been opposed by commercial waterman based on “they think it gives recreational crabbers a extra day to steal crabs from us”.  Correct me if I am wrong but my thinking, based on my actions and those of my neighbors, is that most people that acquire the $29.00 5 pot license are folks that crab for food and not sport.  I would think that such persons are water front property owners or folks that have daily access to the waters of Virginia. If you crab the same area often you will see that same guys crabbing day in, day out.  Why would I want to disturb their pots? Wouldn’t that just bring on retaliation from them?  I think most folks that would disturb a pot are folks curious about what is in them or what do they look like.  Those people would be more likely to be people without any pots.  Believe me I know what is on the end of that slimy rope.  I don’t need to pull up any more pots than my own.

4 VAC 20-670-30. GEAR RESTRICTION provision discourages folks from getting any license.  Since each individual can have 2 pots each a couple can have 4 pots and fish them 7 days a week without spending any money in the state for licenses.  One would question why anyone would get a 5 pot license.  However, if you fish for food (crabs) one person can go crabbing (5 pots) alone but you give up a day that you can crab.  

If I was a weekender there is no way I would spend the $29.00 just to get 1 more pot.  Lets say you make it down to the shore Friday afternoon.  You bait your pots.  The best day to fish them would be Sunday but Sunday you need to be getting home.  I am sure there are a lot of other issues that this old mans brain just cant think of.

I would like to suggest that you join the open discussion on the Blue-crab.org forum under the heading “Rules and Regulations - “It’s Sunday Stupid”.  Since the VMRC’s web site has multiple links to Blue-crab.org someone there must respect the work that this web site has done in educating people in the ways and rules of crabbing, nation wide.

Respectfully,
Jack Cumberland
Temperanceville, VA.

[kingcrabber]

Jack..any response from the emails you sent yet...wish I could do something,but I doubt your esteemed (I use that term lightly legislatore would give a rats ars to what a Philly guy thinks ....althiugh I gotta wunder,what in heaven's name were they thinkin'?

[jack1747]

This isnt a VA resident thing.  Tourist money is important, so tourist opinions are important.

[Steve]

Nice letter, Jack. I'm working on one too and will post it here.

[jack1747]

I encourage anyone to plagiarize it and send email to the folks listed above.  Like I said this isnt necessarly a VA resident thing.  If you go to other crab forums on the web, help to get them involved also.  Just send those emails!

[kingcrabber]

now THAT I can do ...all over it like a cheap suit

[Joe Crabs]

OK Jack, I thought it was a VA thing. WILL DO.

[kingcrabber]

'bout time ya got with the program,pal

[Joe Crabs]

KC, I havn't crabbed in 8 days, effects my central nervous system, makes me a little slow.

[kingcrabber]

only one way to cure that malady ..we're goin fri..you in?

[CRABGUY]

OK SO I CALLED MY DELEGATE LIONEL SPRUILL
AND LEFT A MESSAGE
AND IM SENDING AN E-MAIL TO THE GOV.
TOMORRW

[jack1747]

Jack..any response from the emails you sent yet...wish I could do something,but I doubt your esteemed (I use that term lightly legislatore would give a rats ars to what a Philly guy thinks ....althiugh I gotta wunder,what in heaven's name were they thinkin'?

So far not even a "thanks for your email"

[kingcrabber]

did you xpect any different?

[jack1747]

oops just looked in my junk mail folder and there is a response.

[jack1747]

from jack travelstead:

Thanks for your email Jack. Because of my time constraints, I am
reluctant to join your web discussion, but you can certainly share this
email if you like. The Sunday prohibition was designed simply as a
measure to limit recreational harvest. The $29.00 fee for the license
also was meant as a deterrent for the same purpose. I do not think that
the arguments made by the commercial sector on this issue were what
decided it for the Commission. I believe they were reluctant to act
until they know more about the status of the resource and the success or
failure of all of the current regulations.

The question really is, is the Commission willing to repeal the Sunday
prohibition? I think the answer could be, yes. But first we want to see
the results of the next stock assessment for the blue crab resource in
the Chesapeake Bay. Toward the end of this year the scientific community
will complete the newest version of the stock assessment, which will
provide us with the most up to date information on the status and health
of the resource.  Depending on the results of the assessment, the
Commission might be willing to hear arguments again on the Sunday
prohibition issue. But, only if the assessment shows significant
improvement in the resource.

I encourage you and all others on the web discussion to contact us in
early 2005. At that time we can tell you the results of the assessment,
assuming you do not read it in the newspapers by then, and discuss
whether the Commission might be willing to hear your case again. As for
the rest of this year, the Commission is very reluctant to change
regulations after the April 1st start of the season. Contacting us in
January 2005 will provide plenty of time to hear the case before the
crabs arrive. So stay in touch. Jack

[CRABGUY]

I GOT A RESPONSE FROM THE GOVONERS OFFICE TODAY


July 15, 2004
 
Dear Mr. Garvin:
 
        Governor Warner has asked me to thank you for your recent email and to respond to your concerns.
 
        Your request to repeal a current regulation of the Marine Resources Commission that prohibits recreational crabbing on Sunday with a 5-pot license was recently the subject of a public hearing and discussion before the Commission.  Several reasons for maintaining the prohibition were noted by the public during that hearing and are accurately described in the web discussion you attached.  Although these reasons were, no doubt, considered by the Commission members, I believe they also considered that later this year a new stock assessment of the blue crab will be available from the scientific community.  That assessment will provide the Commission with the information on the status and health of the blue crab resource in the Chesapeake Bay.  The Commission, acting upon the advice of its staff, was reluctant to repeal the Sunday prohibition just as it was to repeal the ban on the harvest of dark-colored sponge crabs, at least until the new crab assessment is available.
 
        After the new assessment is completed, and depending upon its findings, the Commission may willingly reconsider the regulatory changes you and others desire.
 
        I encourage you to contact the Marine Resources Commission in early 2005 to receive the results of the blue crab assessment and to discuss once again the changes you favor.
 
                                                Sincerely,
                                                W. Tayloe Murphy, Jr.
 
 
 
Zelda M. Hardy
Special Assistant
Office of the Secretary of Natural Resources
202 North Ninth Street, 7th Floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219
zelda.hardy@governor.virginia.gov
804-786-0044
 
 
 

[CRABGUY]

I BELIEVE WE HAVE RUFFLED SOME FEATHERS AND SPARKED SOME CONVERSATION