In contrast to livestock or agricultural crops, North Carolina’s coastal fish, shellfish, and crustaceans are considered public trust resources, meaning that they belong to all the people of the state. To ensure that these resources will continue to provide jobs and delicious seafood far into the future, a balance must be struck between harvesting by commercial and recreational fishermen and protections that allow these species to grow into adulthood and reproduce – no easy feat in a system as complicated as our estuaries and coasts.