The Virginia Marine Resources Commission at its November 1, 2016, meeting revoked the fishing licenses of seven commercial watermen for egregious or repeated violations of Virginia’s fishing laws and regulations

It’s called poaching when outlaw watermen rob from the Chesapeake Bay what has been called ‘white gold’ for the last one-hundred and fifty years.

ACCOMACK, VA. — Edward B Lowery Jr., of Tilghman, Maryland, a commercial licensee, was convicted in Accomack County General District Court on August 31, 2015, on seven charges; four counts of failure to report mandatory harvest reports and three counts of forging a public document.

“You people should feel ashamed of yourselves bashing the watermen; you guys have no idea what it’s like to get up and go to a real job. You people are mean and ignorant arrogant ***holes.”

Waterman Billy Smith of Smith Island hardly misses a year without being caught poaching SMITH ISLAND, MD. — The Pirate Poachers of the Chesapeake are a generational lot of outlaw…

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The vessel was holding about 14,000 pounds of croaker and other species of fish, many appearing to be undersized. Seventeen NRP officers from four counties were assigned to measure the entire catch, an effort that took 12 hours. The fish were kept under refrigeration in trucks provided by the waterman.
Approximately 3,500 pounds—or 25 percent—of the catch were found to be undersized. Those fish were seized and returned to the water.

The buyer, Mary Catherine Sears, 33, of Wingate, received 19 citations for possessing undersized oysters and Capt. Phips Seafood was issued 18 citations for the same offense.

The “Patrol” is seen chasing a row-boat containing river pirates. The pirates are pulling at the oars with all their strength, but a few shots from the Police Boat weaken their nerves and they give up. When the “Patrol” comes up near them, it lowers a dory and a number of policemen make the capture. As the pirates are landed on the Police Boat a fierce fight takes place between them and the police, but the latter overcome the offenders and land them safely on the boat.