THE INDEPENDENT NEWS
COURTHOUSE — The City Council on Tuesday, May 17, unanimously voted to prohibit fishing from the beach at Little Island Park during the day in the resort season.
The measure was meant to avoid fishing from the beach when people are swimming at the popular park in Sandbridge, and it does not limit fishing from the pier. The council in April deferred the matter after a group representing local anglers expressed concern about the restrictions.
City Councilmember Barbara Henley, whose district includes Sandbridge, said language had been revised to further clarify the limits are only for the resort season.
The ordinance prevents fishing from the Sanctuary Condominiums to 1,400 feet from the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays – only during the resort season.
“It just means that you can’t fish from the sand beaches at the times when those beaches are filled with children and everybody swimming and so forth in the water,” Henley said.
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Good morning,
This weekend I was at Little Island Park with my 2 kids surf fishing. There were several people fishing just south of the pier. So I set up about 10yds North of the southern most lifeguard stand and then was told, after I had unpacked everything, that I needed to move about 15yds south to the other side of the lifeguard stand. They made several other fishermen move as well. The lifeguards claimed this was due to a city ordinance. I think I understand the ordinance about fishing in the designated swim area.
However, my concern is that while fisherman cannot fish in the swim area because the city is worried someone may get hooked or hit with a lead weight, but swimmers ARE allowed to swim in the designated fishing area?
How is it possible that the risk of injury is less when swimmers are swimming in the fishing area, but higher risk when fishermen are fishing in the swim area? What gives?
I pay the same 5$ to park and use the beach just like everyone else. But, the city wants the fishermen to walk half a mile, if not more, to fish. The other issue with this ordinance is that according to what I’ve read, the fishing area is supposed to be from the fence at Back Bay wildlife area to 1,400 feet North. Now, I did not measure the distance, but I think the southern most lifeguard stand is significantly less than 1,400 feet from the fence at Back Bay wildlife area (or from the Sanctuary Condominiums to 1,400 feet from the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge). If I am understanding this correctly and if I am correct that the lifeguard stand which was the “line in the sand” for the fishing/swimming area, this would decrease the fishing area at Little Island park and would also mean the VB Lifeguards are NOT enforcing in accordance with the Virginia Beach City ordinance signed on 5/17/2022. I would love to know if anyone has any info on this situation.