One of the things that was really interesting about this meeting: it gave me some insight into how the sausage (regulations) are made at DNR.

Recreational fishermen and environmentalists sometimes (often?) complain about the watermen's power, that it far outpaces their dwindling numbers. Watermen in turn complain they are being henpecked to death with regulations, adding to their already stressful lives.

Into that minefield steps DNR, who has to contend with both sides as well as their primary job -- keeping the resources healthy. So DNR often asks watermen to comment on proposed regulations. What I found surprising is that they actually seem to listen to the watermen: maybe not all the time, but certainly some of the time.

Here's a case in point: DNR assistant fishery director Gina Hunt asked the watermen at the meeting last week for advice on how to regulate against trotliners starting too early. Crabbers are allowed to begin their day a halfhour before sunrise. But there is no law on when they can set their lines in the water.

So here's the dilemma for DNR cops, as Hunt explained it: they come upon a crabber who appears to be illegally crabbing at 2 a.m. The guy frees his crabs quickly, and then tells police he is just setting his line early. The line is wet, and police don't know how long it had been in the water.

Hunt was suggesting some sort of law that says when a trotliner can set its line, so it would be easier to cite lawbreakers.  But the watermen basically talked her out of it, saying the scanario in quesiton was an isolated incident that had been dealt with.

Depending on your perspective, this is DNR either caving to the watermen or being reasonable, letting the guys work things out for themselves instead of making one more law. Either way, what resulted was a frank discussion about the problem with a promise that this particular infraction would not happen again.