Development of a bait for the longlining fishery of snapper

Natural baits such as squid and pilchard have been the favored choice of fishermen for the longline fishing of snapper (Pagrus auratus) in New Zealand. Overexploitation of fish stocks together with an increase in demand for fish for human consumption has decreased the resources of natural baits at cost effective prices. This has lead to attempts in the development of artificial or reconstituted baits. In this study, baits were prepared using differing proportions of industry surplus Greenshell(TM) Mussel and gurnard which are know to be part of the snapper diet. These species also contain large amounts of glycine and alanine, which are known to stimulate feeding behavior in snapper. Results of test bait were compared to hooks baited with control squid bait, showing that control bait was 83.93% more effective compared to the test bait. Although the catches on the test bait were low, the selectivity for snapper was 29.25 % higher. Reasons for the reduced total catch may be because the tests bait texture and taste, compared to natural foods of snapper. In terms of ease handling by the fishermen, the format and consistency was well liked.