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Bunker: The Small Fish on which So Much Depends

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It’s been called "the most important fish in the sea." And local fishermen love to see them show up this time of year, because they're an essential part of the fishing ecosystem.

Of course we're talking about menhaden. Also known as bunker (and peanut bunker, when they're small), or pogies if you're from the Boston area. Hey, what worthy fish doesn't have at least two or three names among fishermen?

Kevin Blinkoff of On The Water magazinejoins us to talk about bunker, and its role in making happy albies, blues, tuna, and stripers. Fall 'tis the season for bunker.

And we round up the week's local fishing action.

It's all in just 4 minutes. Give it a listen.

Steve is Managing Editor of News. He came to WCAI in 2007. He also hosts the weekly News Roundup on Friday mornings and produces The Fishing News.