Our guest speaker for March was First Sargent Henry (Skip) Reichle of the Virginia Marine Police. The Virginia Marine Police (VMP) is a division of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). Officers of the VMP have the same powers as sheriffs and other law enforcement officers to enforce all of the criminal laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Sgt. Reichle’s presented an overview of his division’s responsibilities, from patrolling the tidal waters and shorelines of the Chesapeake Bay, enforcing fishing and habitat conservation laws, providing for water-borne safety to search and rescue missions. He also discussed law enforcement patrols for vehicles and vessels.
His presentation included interesting historical information. The first Virginia act protecting fisheries was passed in 1680. It prohibited fishing with gigs and harpooning irons in Gloucester, Middlesex and Lancaster. Following the Civil War, thousands of unemployed sought to make a living harvesting oysters in the Chesapeake Bay. It was a time of exploitation and open conflict between watermen over boundaries and rights to oyster beds. In 1864, Virginia and Maryland established State Oyster Police Navies to enforce order, boundaries and prevent poaching. In Virginia, a “Board of the Chesapeake” operated two oyster police schooners: the Tangier and the Pocomoke. In 1875 an act was passed to provide for a three-member Fish Commission which had an advising function for reviewing conditions in fisheries and was responsible to recommend fisheries legislation to the Governor and General Assembly. The Commission has operated continuously since that beginning, evolving to become the Marine Resources Commission with regulatory authority, law enforcement powers and an array of marine program responsibilities.
Sgt. Reichle concluded his discussion with a review of some of the recent changes to current laws and regulations. Changes to the Recreational Cobia Mandatory Reporting Program (RCMRP) and striped bass fishing were two of the examples he gave. He also reviewed regulations regarding life jackets, fire extinguishers, and other boating safety related topics. He provided photos of boating accidents which clearly showed what can happen when safety requirements are not followed.