> It helps to have
> these regulations on your person while collecting. You can also write a
> letter asking specific questions and use the written reply as a form of
> defense if the field interpetation is different.
This is exactly what I did here in NJ. I obtained a copy of the fishing
regulations and extracted what I could that would apply to our activities
(seining, dip nets) and made a list of what the State calls "bait fish". I called
our DEP people and was transfered to the "person who should know". I explained
what we, NANFA, do and what I wanted to do, get a thorough understanding of the
regulations. We had a nice conversation and he sent me an application for a
scientific collecting permit and a copy of the Fish Code for the State.