Supply risk of bait in Australia's Southern Rock Lobster Fishery

Bait is an often-overlooked component in studies addressing operational and ecological risks in commercial fishing. One of the most valued fisheries in Australia, the Southern Rock Lobster Fishery, lacked analysis of bait use, which is relevant to both assessing ecological interactions of the fishery and also concerns around future supply. We conducted a survey to determine what species are predominantly being used as bait, assessed these species' sustainability status, and explored any risks around future supply. We found that fishers preferred a limited number of bait species and that some were being sourced from fisheries with an ‘unknown’ sustainability status, and many fishers were concerned about future bait supply. Insecurity of existing supply means that other bait options need to be explored. Furthermore, ongoing monitoring of species being used for bait would assist any future third party sustainability accreditation.