Virginia Lawmakers Move to Protect Commercial Fishermen from Harassment at Sea

The Virginia General Assembly has passed HB 928, a bill designed to protect commercial fishermen and their boats from harassment at sea.

The measure passed 38-1 by the state Senate and 99-0 in the lower House, and was signed on by legislative leaders in early March. Gov. Glenn Youngkin is expected to sign it into law, with a deadline for his action by April 8.

The bill, sponsored by Delegate Hillary Pugh Kent of the state’s 67th District on Virginia’s Northern Neck, increases penalties for harassing watermen to a Class I misdemeanor which is confinement in jail for not more than twelve months and a fine of not more than $2,500, either or both.

The Class 1 misdemeanor is for any person who knowingly and intentionally interferes with or impedes the operation of commercial fishing activity of a commercial fishing vessel within the territorial waters of the Commonwealth.

The bill also deems a person to be ineligible for any hunting or fishing license for a period of one year upon a first conviction of this offense and for a period of three years upon a second or subsequent conviction. The bill also requires any person convicted of a violation of this offense to complete a boating safety education class.

The incident occurred approximately 1.5 miles east of Buckroe Beach off Hampton, Va., in Chesapeake Bay. As an Ocean Harvesters’ crew was making a set, the watercraft rider ran his boat between the two purse boats and was able to get inside the set and out before the set was completed. This was the third harassment issue by a recreational boater occurring last year, said Monty Diehl, CEO of Ocean Harvesters, a U. S. fishing company that has a long-term contract to harvest and deliver menhaden to Omega Protein.