Well, there was Abe Lincoln.....which puts "a competent, caring politician" one up.

And even if the numbers were reasonably accurate the fact that tribal crabbers remove half of the harvestable "paper crab" before recreational crabbers have an opportunity has at least two adverse impacts to the State's fishery.

The "first at the table" tribal effort reduces the harvestable biomass thereby significantly reducing the following recreational success per effort rapidly reaching the point where rec crabbers simply stop crabbing. That happened to me early August when I was pulling one keeper for two pots; simply not worth the effort. Done.

And since some of the negotiations over harvestable numbers are based upon biomass data developed by the tribes one doesn't have to be much of a cynic to recognize the potential conflict of interest. Simple example: If tribal data supports a harvestable number (paper crab) of 1,000,000 pounds in an area then the 50/50 split means tribes and State each have 500,000 to harvest from that area. The tribes then go out and take their 500,000 pounds leaving that diluted but still harvestable biomass of 500,000 pounds of paper crab for the State fishers. But if the original 1,000,000 of paper crab was really only 800,000 pounds of real crab and the tribes get first opportunity and remove their agreed upon 500,000 then what is left for the State is 300,000 pounds.

A simple real world example of potential conflict of interest and resolution is kids dividing a treat.......one does the cutting and the other gets first choice.