UNC Sea Grant 



V 



February, 1986 



N. C. 



Ooc. 



FISH ON THE MOVE 



To biologists, they're pelagics. To fishermen, com- 

 mercial and recreational alike, they're king mackerel, 

 bluefish, dolphin, wahoo — fish that swim the near- 

 shore waters of the coast and fish that cruise the 

 deeper waters near the Gulf Stream. 



Simply defined, pelagic (pe-laj'-ik) species of fish 

 are ocean-going; they like the open waters of the sea. 

 For fishermen, these species often mean a hefty catch 

 that offers a good fight as well as good table fare. But 



for fisheries managers, pelagic species pose a set of 

 problems different from reef fish or inshore species. 



This month, Coastwatch takes a look at pelagics — 

 their biology, the inherent management problems 

 they pose and how the state is dealing with those 

 problems. And, Coastwatch takes you aboard a com- 

 mercial fishing boat in pursuit of king mackerel, one of 

 the most popular pelagics. 



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