The Virginia Marine Resources Commission has approved morning shellfish harvest curfews in warm weather months.

During a meeting May 22 at its headquarters in Newport News, the commission set the morning shellfish harvest curfew unless the harvest is iced or other handling procedures are followed, said VMRC spokesman John Bull.

Following a separate public hearing, the commission voted to strengthen the existing commercial shellfish tagging requirements. The tags will help track shellfish according to its original Virginia harvest area, Bull said.

On a separate matter, the commission voted to extend the commercial and recreational tautog season. Bull said the change will allow recreational anglers to keep four fish per day, instead of the three per day that was in effect.

In other business, the commission:

—Set a daily trip limit for commercial Spanish mackerel harvests, according to staff recommendations;

—Set the spiny dogfish commercial harvest quota, per staff recommendation, and

—Approved the application of Plains Marketing LP to mechanically dredge approximately 36,000 cubic yards of subaqueous material to maintain maximum navigable depths of minus 40 feet at mean low water. That application is for water adjacent to an existing petroleum loading/unloading pier (old Yorktown Terminal) situated along the York River in York County.

VMRC recommended approval with standard dredge conditions, Bull said, and all dredged material will be slurried in a tending barge and hydraulically pumped ashore to a bermed upland placement area onsite.