80%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Responses
Farmed/bred live-baits (e.g. maggots)
Natural live-baits (e.g. lug worms)
Dead-baits (e.g. sandlines)
Manufactured baits (e.g. boilies and ground baits)
70%
FEATURE | SUSTAINABILITY
www.tackletradeworld.com 37
Holland, Isle of Man, Netherlands,
Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, South
Africa, Spain, Sweden, United States
and Wales.
MAIN BAIT TYPES
There were four main categories of
produced bait –; manufacturers (such
as boilies); harvesters (for example
ragworm); farmers for example
maggots); and cultivators (such as
sweetcorn).
Just over three-quarters (75.6 per
cent) of surveyed anglers purchased
manufactured baits (eg pellets), which
includes groundbaits. The second
largest purchase type was represented
by farmed or bred baits (eg maggots) at
12.6 per cent.
KEY QUESTIONS
107 comments were received from
anglers on the subject of whether baits
should help to balance a fi sh’s natural
diet and wider aquatic-life. Summarised
angler comments are as follows:
• Anglers identifi ed that they have a
responsibility to choose baits benefi cial
to both fi sh welfare and wider
ecosystems, and this is central to both
healthy fi sheries and a sustainable
future for angling -–cheap baits and
ingredients were viewed as being
detrimental in this regard.
• Strong views held that baits should
be based on nutritious and readily
digestible ingredients and exclude
additives, to support a fi sh’s diet and
promote healthy weight gains.
• More and better-quality information
was needed to inform anglers’
purchasing choices.
• Anglers making their own baits
commented that they were able to
select better quality ingredients and
exclude preservatives.
• Information would help fi shery
managers on determining appropriate
controls (e.g. on tiger nut use and
preventing excessive groundbaiting.)
• There was also recognition by
anglers that any discussion on
‘natural’ baits needed to be kept in
context; for example, a boilie might
contain ‘natural’
ingredients (e.g. fi shmeal containing
herring and tuna, spices and nuts),
but none of these are natural in
freshwater ecosystems.
• Concern was also expressed
by anglers that the use of nonsustainably
sourced Krill and fi sh for
fi shmeal production could have a
negative effect on wider marine life.
• Some sea anglers also felt that the
survey was more relevant to enclosed
freshwater fi sheries.
BAIT BUYGNG PREFERENCES
Almost three-quarters of surveyed
anglers indicated that they are more
likely to buy baits from producers
operating clear environmental and/or
responsible sourcing policies. Nearly
19 per cent stated they didn’t know
while almost eight per cent said they
were not more likely to do so.
RESPONSIBLY SOURCED INGREDIENTS
Of surveyed anglers, 82 per cent staid
bait producers should use responsibly
sourced ingredients (eg sustainable
ANGLERS SURVEYED (BY ANGLING DISCIPLINE)
MAIN BAIT TYPES
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Game fi shing
Specimen (e.g. carp) fi shing
Sea fi shing Mixed freshwater (coarse) fi shing
Predator (e.g. pike/Zander)
fi shing
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