Fisheries Management Division
Fisheries Management
The Fisheries Management Division carries out current and long-term State policies affecting saltwater fisheries - recreational and commercial in Virginia's tidal waters. The Division's goal is to provide the maximum benefit and long-term use of the Commonwealth's finfish and crustacean resources through conservation and enhancement.
Related Links
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (external site)
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (external site)
Potomac River Fisheries Commission (external site)
Data Management
The Data Management Division monitors Virginia's finfish and shellfish fisheries data and provides this information for management purposes.
Related Links
Individual Harvester Data Request Form (PDF)
Online Commercial Fishing Reporting
Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (external site)
NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Recreational Information Program (external site)
Age And Growth Lab
The Age and Growth Lab was established at Old Dominion University (ODU) in 1998, and has been funded by the federal Sport Fish Restoration Program (Wallop-Breaux) and the Virginia Saltwater Recreational License Fund through Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). In the Summer of 2019, the lab moved to the VMRC offices at Ft. Monroe. The lab personnel collect, process, and age several thousands of calcified structures (including otoliths, scales, opercula, and fin spines) from fish annually to help determine age and growth characteristics of fish important in Virginia marine waters.
As of 2025 the lab has aged over 105,400 fish of 15 marine finfish species using over 142,000 calcified structures (otoliths, scales, spines, and opercula) and donated over 62,400 pounds of fresh fish to local non-profit organizations. The lab devotes effort to increasing the efficiency of data collection and the quality of the age and growth data to best use state funds. The ageing and biological data are used by the VMRC, other states, and federal agencies for stock assessment and fisheries management to support sustainable fisheries in Virginia and along the east coast of the United States.