Longlining haddock with manufactured bait to reduce catch of Atlantic cod in a conservation zone

A manufactured bait, Norbait © 700E, and two natural baits, clams and herring, were tested to compare catch of haddock and Atlantic cod using longlines in a cod conservation zone. Trials on a commercial fishing vessel demonstrated that the manufactured bait had the lowest catches of cod and the lowest ratio of cod to legal-sized haddock compared to either natural bait. Interactions of bait type, area of set, and trip confounded the effects of bait on catch. Based on the haddock catch per unit effort (CPUE), estimates of economic viability using only the manufactured bait suggested that a fishery may be infeasible. Use of Norbait © to limit Atlantic cod bycatch in haddock longline fisheries may require fishery-by-fishery evaluation.