By Will Tuell

If there’s one thing true about commercial fishing, it’s that the men and women who work on the water have to comply with a lot of rules and regulations just to earn a living. Last week proved no exception as the state’s Department of Marine Resources (DMR) issued a wave of rules affecting the menhaden or pogie fishery, shellfish, elvers, and smelts. Some are as simple as clarifying existing rules, while others establish catch limits or quotas for the upcoming season.