The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) voted in August to gradually reduce the number of licenses in the public oyster fishery over the next few years.
To achieve a reduction in active oyster licenses, VMRC will prohibit new entrants, implement an annual user fee to maintain eligibility, and limit license transfers only to direct family members or to a non-family member if the license holder can prove 40 days of oyster harvests in the previous season.
The number of oyster license holders in Virginia has jumped to more than 1,100 in recent years as oyster stocks have improved.
source: Virginia Marine Resources Commission