Hull researchers call for updated UK fisheries management policies in light of new bait use findings

Scientists from the University of Hull are urging policymakers to incorporate new evidence on how bait use affects fisheries management for crabs and lobsters in UK waters.

Recent research finds that baited traps attract far more crabs and lobsters than are captured and brought ashore, indicating that bait serves as a beneficial nutritional subsidy for broader crustacean populations.

Bait scent disseminates in the tide, drawing crabs and lobsters to pots primarily sourced from waste fisheries like mackerel and farmed salmon.

With numerous pots deployed in concentrated areas, substantial amounts of bait are introduced annually to the marine environment.

The study raises concerns about the unmonitored quantity of bait used in UK fisheries, which makes it difficult to fully understand its impact on local food webs, animal behaviour, and stock dynamics.

Urgency for data-driven decisions

PhD student and lead author Nick Rooke emphasised the importance of this research in shaping the sustainability of UK pot fishing.

Rooke said: "This research provides a new piece of the picture which we hope will help shape the long-term sustainability of UK pot fishing. For the first time, we can quantify how bait supports crustacean populations in UK waters.

Regulators now have a data driven basis to evaluate how bait use can influence management across a fishery. We’re urging regulators to consider these findings carefully should any future discussions arise around limiting fishing effort and reducing bait input and the knock-on effects to the wider population bait is currently supporting."

Insights from Holderness fishery

The study focused on the Holderness inshore fishery, examining how much bait enters the sea annually, its spread, and the number of crabs and lobsters feeding on it.

These fisheries are notable in that the crabs and lobsters caught are alive and can usually survive when released back to the sea.

Protections like bans on landing undersized and egg-bearing females prove effective in safeguarding part of the stock.

Animals protected by these rules likely feed on bait before release, while smaller individuals can access pots through mesh gaps, returning to feed.

Fishing with baited traps inadvertently nourishes the wider ecosystem, leading fishers to remark that they “farm the sea” by providing nutrients beyond their commercial catch.

Implications for UK Fisheries Management Plans

Crab and lobster fisheries have been flagged for priority under the UK’s new Fisheries Management Plans.

This study holds potential to inform and enhance crab and lobster fisheries management within broader ecosystems, contributing to the development of effective actions under these plans.

Mike Roach, co-author and Deputy Chief Executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, welcomed the study's insights.

Roach said: "The scientific understanding of crab and lobster fisheries in the UK is not as sound as for other fisheries such as white fish, making effective management of them challenging."

“This research sheds light on a previously under-studied area and highlights the importance of empirical evidence underpinning fisheries management. The fact that the use of bait can feed many more animals than it aims to capture highlights how there can be wider benefits of crustacean fisheries to the ecosystem when well managed.”