State targets lobster bait rules Unknown effects of untreated animal parts prompt research

PORTLAND – Lobstermen have searched for the perfect bait for as long as they’ve been catching lobsters.

Now the state wants to research some of those baits to determine their effect on lobsters, humans and the environment.

David Etnier, deputy commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources, said reports began surfacing last year that some lobstermen were using untreated pig, deer and moose hide and body parts as bait in their traps. That, he said, has sparked concern over the use of bait that doesn’t originate in the ocean.

The state soon hopes to launch a study of animal parts; it is considering banning their use as bait until the study is completed.

Officials also plan to examine the effects of processed cowhide treated in fish oil, which has been sold as a lobster bait for more than a decade. Etnier said questions have been raised on whether hair from the hide products can end up in a lobster’s digestive tract.

“We have no indication that there is any adverse impact on human or animal health,” Etnier said. “But we want to err on the side of caution.”

Herring, a smelly and oily fish, is the bait of choice. But with fluctuations in herring supply and price, lobstermen have long sought alternative baits.

Finding a bait to a lobster’s liking isn’t an easy task. Over the decades, lobstermen have been known to put kerosene-soaked bricks, chicken parts, glowing lights and even loud-ticking watches in their traps to attract lobsters. In laboratories, researchers have experimented with cheese, chocolate and anise flavorings to see if lobsters go for them.

Most recently, reports emerged last year of some lobstermen using animal parts as bait, sold in buckets in local stores, Etnier said. At a DMR Lobster Advisory Council meeting last October, some members said they knew of moose hide and pig hide being sold in buckets full of blood.

Ads for the products have appeared in Uncle Henry’s weekly classified ad publication. A recent issue contains an ad for cut and salted moose hide lobster bait in 5-gallon pails.