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A bill in the state Senate Ports and Marine Resources Committee would greatly increase the number of red drum a commercial fishing boat could have on board.

That, a conservation group says, is unacceptable.

"All of this has been done without any public scrutiny," said F.J. Eicke of the Coastal Conservation Association. He said the conservationists were not included in any discussions about the bill.

Sen. Brice Wiggins of Pascagoula said he was asked by Omega Protein, which fishes for menhaden in Mississippi waters, to file the bill.

"They are looking out for their captains," Wiggins said. "The way the law is now, there is zero tolerance. This allows law enforcement some leeway. As in any kind of law, there should be flexibility."

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