Our state fisheries management advisors are in the process of developing
protocols for the bait industry at the moment. It is likely that "imported"
live bait of all kinds may be prohibited and only those species ( and
perhaps local forms) found at that impoundment will be allowed. Presumably
they will also have to consider the issues of wild harvesting of bait
species and its effect on the environment and the local food chain as
opposed to local aquaculture of the bait species and the attendent risks of
disease and genetic influences from the "escapees and leftovers".
The release of unwanted bait species used nearby is one of the possible
explanations for the "Eachamensis Debacle"
Bruce Hansen
----------
> From: Gary Lange <gwlange at stlnet.com>
> To: rainbowfish at pcug.org.au
> Subject: Re: [RML] search for pet crayfish
> Date: Monday, 2 June 1997 7:20
>
> It really is important to just mess with the crayfish in your area or if
you do
> "import" crayfish from another part of the country that you make sure
that they
> never get released into your system. We have a lot of crayfish species
in the
> US and a lot of them are now threatened because of release, mainly by
fisherman
> using them for bait. They release a fairly aggressive bait crayfish into
a
> stream where a much less aggressive crayfish eventually gets displaced.
>