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VMRC seeks to make changes to oyster regulations permanent

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission will hold a public hearing Tuesday pertaining to restrictions on the oyster harvest. The VMRC meeting will be held at 2600 Washington Avenue, Newport News, beginning at 9:30 a.m.; the hearing will be held no earlier than noon.

The hearing is a follow-up to commission action in December when an emergency regulation was passed on the matter, said VMRC spokesperson Laurie Naismith. This would establish January as the last harvest month of the James River hand scrape season, rather than March. On a separate matter during Tuesday’s meeting, the commission will consider requests by Carl Setterholm and Donna Melzer to authorize leasing of oyster planting grounds in the York River. Both applicants seek to use oyster planting grounds downstream of the Coleman Bridge.

Those applications were continued from the Aug. 25, 2015 commission meeting.

Also, the VMRC will receive a report by Dr. Bob Orth of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Glouce...

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