An Evaluation of the Current Use of Farmed vs Wild-Caught Ragworm Bait in Wales: NRW Evidence Report No: 883

The production of bait for sea anglers, through wild collection or farming, and its subsequent sale is a high value industry. For example Monkman et al (2015) estimated that resident Welsh anglers spent approximately £11.1M on bait in a single year (2013). The sea bait supply chain is based on a very informal market comprising supplies of packaged offshore species, farmed baitworm from specific aquaculture ventures and intertidal collection of wild baits by recreational and commercial collectors. As a consequence, understanding of this area is limited. Intertidal, or shoreline bait collection in Wales is currently a concern for Natural Resources Wales (NRW) due to known impacts on the marine environment in some areas.

This report aims to evaluate the current use of farmed vs wild-caught ragworm bait in Wales and identify barriers to the use of farmed ragworm as a means to alleviate the exploitation
of wild ragworm stocks. It recommends a number of measures that can be taken to encourage the use of farmed ragworm bait and hence alleviate pressure on the marine environment. To enhance understanding of the bait supply chain, we engaged with all relevant actors in the bait community through interviews and online questionnaires, with a mix of comparable quantitative questions and detailed open answers. The perceptions of anglers, retailers (shops and distributors) and suppliers (farms and collectors) are presented to fill nine ‘knowledge gaps’. Difficulties engaging participants resulted in a relatively small sample size. This report should therefore be seen as presenting a range of valid opinions of the market, rather than an exhaustive or entirely representative sample. The discussion
presents a balanced view of the market and makes some recommendations on the future of bait supply, specifically ragworm farming, to meet Welsh market demands.