Charterboat Industry

Charter and party boats offer the angler a rare link to the full spectrum of inshore, offshore, and highly migratory fisheries. The "for hire" nature of the service provided by boat captains represents a hybrid of both recreational- and commercial-level harvest, depending on trip conditions and circumstances. 

This fishing sector, therefore, has unique attributes that call for special outreach. Fisheries specialists have worked for a number of years to improve the understanding of the fishery management complex by the "for hire" fishing industry and, at the same time, improve understanding of the industry by federal, regional, and state resource managers. Educational "Virginia Charter Boat Workshops" are conducted annually at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and those interested in learning more can contact susanna@vims.edu