Virginia Pound Net Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries

U.S. fisheries are classified under the Marine Mammal Protection Act according to the level of interactions that result in incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals.

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Current Classification on the List of Fisheries

Category	II
Estimated Number of Participants	20
Target Species	Weakfish, spot, and croaker
Applicable Take Reduction Plans	Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan (BDTRP)
Observer Coverage	There has not been formal observer coverage in this fishery; however, the Northeast Fishery Observer Program (NEFOP) has monitoring and characterization that occurs sporadically in this fishery.
Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured	Bottlenose dolphin, Northern migratory coastal¹; Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system; Bottlenose dolphin, Southern migratory coastal¹

^ Number of participants estimates are based on state and federal fisheries permit data. The estimated number of participants is expressed in terms of the number of active participants in the fishery, when possible. If this information is not available, the estimated number of vessels or persons licensed for a particular fishery is provided. If no recent information is available on the number of participants, then the number from the most recent LOF is used. NOAA Fisheries acknowledges that, in some cases, these estimations may be inflating actual effort.

*Observer coverage levels include the latest information reported in the most current final Stock Assessment Report (SAR).

¹ Indicates the stock or species is driving the classification of the fishery.

Basis for Current Classification

The 2010 LOF included a superscript “1” following bottlenose dolphin (WNA coastal stock) because the annual mortality and serious injury of that stock in this fishery was greater than 1% and less than 50% of the stock’s Potential Biological Removal (PBR) level. When the stocks of bottlenose dolphins killed/injured in this fishery were updated on the 2011 LOF, the superscript “1” was retained after each of these stocks because NOAA Fisheries cannot yet differentiate to which stock a killed/injured animal belongs. Until NOAA Fisheries is able to do so, each stock of bottlenose dolphin is considered to be driving the classification of the fishery.

Distribution

Effort in this fishery occurs in nearshore coastal and estuarine waters off Virginia. This fishery includes all pound net effort in Virginia state waters, including waters inside the Chesapeake Bay.

Gear Description

This fishery uses stationary gear. Pound net gear includes a large mesh lead posted perpendicular to the shoreline and extending outward to the corral, or "heart," where the catch accumulates.

Management

The fishery is managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission under the Interstate Fishery Management Plans for Atlantic croaker and spot, and is an affected fishery under the BDTRP.

Historical Information

Original Category (Year added to the LOF)	II (2001)
Original Number of Participants	187
Basis for Original Classification	This fishery was categorized as a Category II based on evidence of coastal bottlenose dolphin mortality in pound nets, especially in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. NOAA Fisheries proposed to list the fishery to cover the entire mid-Atlantic; however, it was limited to Virginia because of where interactions occurred. Other pound net effort was incorporated into the Category III "U.S. mid-Atlantic mixed species stop seine/weir/pound net fishery." Using stranding data only (therefore minimum estimates) from 1993- 1997, 2 (or 0.4 animals/year) bottlenose dolphin carcasses were found with marks consistent with pound nets, which was 1.6% of PBR (PBR=25). One other stranding in the area was suspected to be from an interaction with pound net gear.
Past Names	N/A
Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list)	N/A

Timeline of Changes

2021	Estimated number of participants updated from 26 to 20.
2017	Estimated number of participants updated from 47 to 26.
2016	Estimated number of participants updated from 67 to 47.
2013	Estimated number of participants updated from 231 to 67.
2012	Added bottlenose dolphin (Northern NC estuarine system stock) to the list of species/stocks killed/injured in this fishery. Stranding data for 2004-2008 indicate 17 bottlenose dolphins (Northern NC estuarine system stock) were killed in pound net gear and three were released alive. The level of injury for the three dolphins released alive was undetermined. These interactions occurred primarily inside estuarine waters near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in summer months. Nine of these mortalities occurred during the summer (July-September) and, therefore, could be from the Northern NC estuarine system stocks. The 2010 SAR states that this fishery is known to interact with this stock. Estimated number of participants updated from 52 to 231.
2011	Updated the stock name for bottlenose dolphins killed/injured in this fishery, based on the revised stock structure presented in the final 2008 and 2009 SARs. Replaced bottlenose dolphin (WNA coastal) with the following stocks: bottlenose dolphin (Northern Migratory coastal) and bottlenose dolphin (Southern Migratory coastal). Retained a superscript “1” after each of these stocks because the 2010 LOF includes a superscript “1” following bottlenose dolphin (WNA coastal) and NOAA Fisheries cannot yet differentiate to which stock a killed/injured animal belongs. Until NOAA Fisheries is able to do so, each stock of bottlenose dolphin is considered to be driving the classification of the fishery. Estimated number of participants updated from 41 to 52.
2010	Estimated number of participants updated from 187 to 41.
2006	Added a superscript “1” after bottlenose dolphin (WNA coastal), indicating that it is driving the categorization of this fishery.