Commercial Fishing



Credit: Peretz Partesky
SUMMARY OF POTOMAC RIVER REGULATIONS
PERTAINING TO LONGLINE CRABBING
 
Regulation VII
Sec. 1(i)      Crab Pot Longline

A method of fishing crab pots wherein individual crab pots are attached in a series to a
single line that is marked on each end with a spar buoy.

Sec. 3      Display of Decal and Identification of Pots

a) Display of Decal. Before setting any crab pots, each licensee shall firmly attach his
Potomac River Fishery Commission issued decal to the vessel named on the license.
The decal must be displayed in a clearly visible position on the outside starboard side of
the boat or vessel.
b) Identification of Pots. Licensees may set crab pots singularly or attached to a crab
pot longline, or both. The marking requirements are as follows:


i)

For singularly set pots - Each crab pot set singularly in the water shall be
marked with a buoy easily visible on the surface which must legibly display
the boat decal number herein provided in not less than one (1) inch
numbers in contrasting color. All crab pot buoys with the same decal
number must be painted alike and a sample buoy shall be displayed
aboard the licensed vessel. Each buoy shall have only one Potomac River
boat decal number displayed and all such buoys set in the Potomac shall
be deemed to be crab pots.

ii)

For pots attached to a crab pot longline - Each longline shall be identified
with a spar buoy that has an 18 inch square flag legibly displaying the
letters ā€œCPā€ and the decal number provided with the license in not less
than 4 inch letters/numerals. The bottom of such flag shall be at least 4ā€™
above the water.

Any crab pot or crab pot longline in the water not identified in this manner may be
seized by the duly authorized enforcement officers and shall be subject to forfeiture.

Sec. 5(d)      Crab Pot Longlines
Each longline shall contain either up to 15 crab pots or no more than 30 crab pots and
each line will be counted as either 15 pots or 30 pots when determining compliance with
the license limitation. A spar buoy shall be placed at each end of the longline with a flag
at least 12 inches square, which shall be identified by legibly displaying the assigned
decal number and either 15 pots or 30 pots. Any licensee using crab pot longlines, will,
at the direction of any authorized enforcement officer, pull the line for inspection. No
longline shall be set in waters less than 20ā€™ MLW.



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