Use of discards in bait

Summary

Further to the Defra ‘Fishing for the Markets’ initiative, this study explores whether discards from English vessels not destined for human consumption can be utilised in bait in England. Analysis of current discards from the English fleet and the pot bait needs of those targeting crab and lobster showed that the bait market could potentially utilise all discards in England. Commercial sea trials tested the effectiveness of a range of discards species as bait. These identified that virtually all species currently discarded by English fishing vessels could be used as effective pot bait for crabbers. But this was not the case for lobster catches where the sea trials showed a negative impact on the catch rate compared to traditional bait. The study concludes that the use of discards as pot bait will predominantly depend on the cost as they will be competing on price with a range of existing cost-effective baits already used by the potting sector.

Author

• Nathan de Rozarieux,
• NFFO Services Ltd

Publication date

01 August 2014