Last night's meeting with Chesapeake Bay watermen and the state officials who regulate them was productive, informative, and very civil.

At least a half-dozen watermen actually got up and thanked the agency, and particularly state crab expert Lynn Fegley, for her concern, her diligence and the generally conciliatory way in which she has approached the subject that she more than once called "tough stuff."

When has that EVER happened before?

Yesterday's message from Fegley boiled down to this: Crab restrictions are coming. They have to come, to save this industry -- for us, the consumers, and for you, the watermen. We don't want to see you go out of business any more than you do. Let's work together and come up with something we both can live with.

It was a message I first heard her deliver in September, and she clearly meant it. Fegley has been around the state, presenting a menu of options to watermen in Smith Island, Dorchester County and other place.

When watermen told her they wouldn't survive if DNR shortened the season by two weeks, Fegley took that option off the table. Ditto the idea of having no female crab harvest for certain months, which would absolutely devastate some crabbers.

Remaining on the table is a bushel limit for trotliners and potters, a 10-day prohibition of peelers in April or May, and a maximum size (maybe 6.5 inches) for females.

Fegley seemed to be leaning toward the max. size for females, if only because, as she said, it's the only thing we haven't tried. But she seems to be truly open to a lot of different ideas.

Restrictions are also coming for the recreational crabbers, which will help the department keep track of them. We don't know how many there are, Fegley said, and we really need to know that.

DNR will be putting the proposal they presented on their web site by the end of the day Monday. I will link to it here once it's available.