Importing live bait

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#1
Been rewriting some information on bait and ran across the following:

In 2009 it was reported that the following amounts of bait was imported into California. An estimated 1,900,000 ghost shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis), 575,000 bloodworms (Glycera dibranchiate, 600,000 pile worms (Alitta virens), and 1,100,000 lugworms Perinereis sp.).

It is hard to judge, and no conclusive results have been published, but the state continues to show concern as to the affect this importation of live bait has in regard to introducing non-indigenous species into our environment.
 

Mahigeer

Senior Member
#2
Interesting, but don't they die by the time fish gets to them?

From the scientific name of the ghost shrimp, it seems it is originally from California.
Neotrypaea californiensis
 

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#3
Some of these worms are non-native to California and though the ghost shrimp are native to California, the state's concerned about miscellaneous small critters they may hitchhike along in the seaweed. Personally, I'm much more concerned about the new species that are introduced via the ballast waters of large ships. Several species introduced by ballast water from ships originating in Asia are now common to San Francisco Bay and San Pedro Bay, i.e., chameleon gobies and yellowfin gobies.
 

Makairaa

Well-Known Member
#4
Interesting, but don't they die by the time fish gets to them?

From the scientific name of the ghost shrimp, it seems it is originally from California.
Neotrypaea californiensis
They are native to California, but most of the ones bought from tackle stores come from Washington. CDFW worries about parasites, diseases and non-native species hitching a ride along with them.