Bait worms: a valuable and important fishery with implications for fisheries and conservation management

Abstract

Bait is an integral part of coastal life, but is perceived as a low‐value resource as fisheries are data‐limited, locally focussed and largely unregulated even though the ecological impacts of collection are considerable. An empirical assessment of three UK‐based ragworm fisheries combined with an analysis of published literature has produced the first global assessment of polychaete bait fisheries. The five most expensive (retail price per kg) marine species sold on the global fisheries market are polychaetes (Glycera dibranchiata, Diopatra aciculata, Nereis (Alitta) virens, Arenicola defodiens and Marphysa sanguinea). We estimate that 1600 t of N. virens per annum (worth £52 million) are landed in the UK with approximately 121 000 tonnes of polychaetes collected globally valued at £5.9 billion. Using remote closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras to monitor collectors, activity at local sites is considerable with a mean of 3.14 collectors per tide (day and night) at one site and individuals digging for up to 3 h per tide, although intensity differed seasonally and between sites. Collectors removed on average 1.4 kg of N. virens per person per hour, walking a considerable distance across the intertidal sediment to reach areas that were usually already dug. The implications of these human activity and biomass removal levels are explored in the context of fisheries and conservation management. At local, regional and national scales, polychaete bait fisheries are highly valuable, extract significant biomass and have considerable impacts; therefore, they urgently require governance equivalent to other fisheries.

Intertidal invertebrate harvesting: a meta-analysis of impacts and recovery in an important waterbird prey resource

“…Whether this is achieved through spatial and temporal restrictions, by assigning allowable catches or through effort limitations would likely be driven by local circumstance. Hand fisheries are often difficult to regulate due to the ease of access, although due to the evidence of prolonged impacts in hand fisheries presented here, along with their significant global value, we agree with Watson et al (2017) that their management should be brought in line with other fisheries to ensure sustainability. The clear trends in recovery in annelids and crustaceans, common taxa targeted by hand, suggest that sustainability of such fisheries is certainly achievable with sufficient closures to allow adequate larval settlement or recolonization.…”

“…Intertidal fishing is widespread in global coastal environments, ranging from small-scale hand collection and bait digging to commercial exploitation through dredging and other mobile harvesting gear (Kaiser et al 2001). Of an overall annual value of approximately US$129 billion from global marine fisheries (FAO 2014), the value of the global baitworm industry alone has recently been calculated as almost £6 billion (US $ 7.9 billion), with calls for management of these re sources commensurate to other fisheries (Watson et al 2017). The ease of access to the resource in such fisheries requires careful management for sustainability.…”

Insight into aquaculture's potential of marine annelid worms and ecological concerns: a review

“…Watson et al . () estimated that 1600 tonnes of A. virens per year (worth £ 52 million) are landed in the UK, with approximately 121 000 tonnes of polychaetes collected globally, valued at £ 5.9 billion. These authors considered that these values are comparable to many of the world's most important fisheries.…”

“…; Watson et al . ). Several polychaetes families (such as Arenicolidae, Glyceridae, Lumbrineridae, Nereididae, Nephtyidae, Onuphidae and Eunicidae) are harvested on intertidal flats, in different sediment types, ranging from mud to coarse sand (Olive ; Scaps ; Cunha et al .…”

Introducing a Regulatory Policy Framework of Bait Fishing in European Coastal Lagoons: The Case of Ria de Aveiro in Portugal

“…The economic implications of baitworm activity for fisheries and conservation management in North European coastal areas have been partly addressed [21][22][23]. Additionally, the importance of benthic fauna to aquatic ecosystem functions and resilience to external drivers has been explored [24,25].…”