Now that the precedent is set...I've got nothing but bad feelings about this whole deal. If the bait ever returns, what's to prevent 4,10,15 or more opportuntists from swooping in?

What about a law preventing netting in harbors? It can be a hazard to navigation, right? Or, allowing netting only in open water? Or, no netting from May to Oct?

There's plenty of examples of restrictions that were put in place to protect a fishery, (ie. illegal to trout fish near tribs of the Hous during heat of summer; herring moratorium etc.)