Bait

 

 

Anglers

Anglers can help protect our natural areas from harmful invaders by following a few simple steps. Learn more about the link between bait and AIM and be sure to share these tips with other anglers.

    • Purchase from local, licensed bait retailers. They are more likely to be aware of state and federal regulations.
    • Dispose of unwanted bait, fish parts, and packing materials in the trash. Do not dump them in the water or on land.
    • Drain your bait container and add spring or dechlorinated tap water before leaving water access if keeping live bait. Do not add other live fish to your bait container.
    • Never move live fish or other organisms from one water body to another.
    • Dry everything for at least five days, unless otherwise required by local or state laws, when moving between waterways or wipe everything with a towel before reuse to kill species not easily seen.
    • Report unknown or non-bait organisms to your state natural resources agency.

These steps are adapted in part from the ANS Task Force guidelines.

 

Retailers

Retailers can help protect our natural areas from harmful invaders by following a few simple steps. Learn more about the link between bait and AIM and be sure to share these tips with anglers and other retailers.

    • Inspect bait for hitchhikers during dip net transfer.
    • Remove plants, non-bait fish, and other species.
    • Dispose of unwanted bait and worms in the trash. Do not dump them in the water or on land.
    • Do not release live bait.
    • Report unknown or non-bait organisms to your state natural resources agency.

 

 

Growers and Wholesalers

As a grower and/or seller of bait, you can help protect our natural areas from invaders by implementing the following guidelines that relate to your business activities. Learn more about the link between bait and AIM and be sure to share these tips with your customers and other wholesalers.

General

  • Comply with all federal, state and local regulations related to the import, quarantine, propagation, sale and distribution of aquatic animals, including those governing areas where you sell and ship.
  • Determine whether existing stocks of organisms are invasive in the areas they’re raised or held and eliminate any invasive species.
  • Consider developing a HACCP plan to comprehensively minimize the risk of spreading AIM through your business activities.

Containing

  • Comply with federal, state and local regulations for construction of all propagation and holding ponds.
  • Build ponds and situate tanks to ensure that they and their contents—including any outflows and overflows—stay separate from natural or public water bodies.
  • Use tanks designed for propagation, and inspect and repair them regularly to prevent an animal’s escape.

Buying and Receiving

  • Evaluate the potential invasiveness of every species before acquiring it for sale.
  • Purchase only those organisms labeled with scientific names.
  • Ensure that the organisms you obtain are correctly identified—ideally to species.
  • Purchase only animals that show no sign of disease or parasitic infestation.

Stocking Ponds or Tanks

  • Remove all dirt, vegetation or other excess material from animals before adding them to your pond, cage or tank.
  • Quarantine new animals in a separate, filtered container for 2-4 weeks before adding them to your pond or tank.

Growing

  • Use spring, well or filtered water in ponds and tanks—avoid using untreated surface water, which may contain unreported invaders.
  • Visually and manually inspect ponds and tanks for the presence of invasive species and decontaminate if AIM are found. Decontamination information can be found here and here.

Disposing

  • Freeze all debris and unwanted plants in a sealed plastic bag before throwing them in the trash. This ensures the plants are dead before they’re carried to landfills or other locations where living plants could still cause harm.
  • Never release unwanted plants or animals into natural or public water bodies.
  • Contact a veterinarian or pet retailer for guidance if euthanasia is required.

Harvesting and Hauling

Before traveling to a harvesting location

  • Check gear and determine if it was previously cleaned. If not, follow the remove, drain, dispose and decontaminate steps below.
  • Plan harvesting trips so that those areas of a waterbody that are least likely to be infested are harvested before the more likely infested areas.

After harvesting on a waterbody is complete

  • Remove plants, animals and mud from all equipment.
  • Drain all water from your boat and gear.
  • Dispose of unwanted plants and animals in the trash.
  • Decontaminate equipment before using it elsewhere.
  • Inspect and disinfect holding and transport tanks following each use.
  • Pump spring, well or filtered water into hauling tanks when transporting fish or other live organism to other waters or facilities—avoid using lake or river water during transport.
  • Comply with all regulations related to the disposal of water in hauling tanks avoiding direct release into surface waters whenever possible.

Selling

  • Promote regionally native or non-invasive animals.
  • Avoid selling or shipping organisms to areas in which they are invasive—not all invasive species are regulated. Visit the Alternatives, ND STAIR, Predicting Invaders, and Meet the Invaders pages or contact your local natural resource managers for more details.
  • Label all animals with accurate scientific and common names.
  • Avoid selling organisms showing signs of disease or parasitic infestation.
  • Ensure that customer purchases, including containers and packaging materials, are free of dirt, vegetation, animals, eggs and other excess material.

Educating Customers

  • Share your knowledge of AIM and the steps retailers and other wholesalers can take to prevent AIM introduction and spread.

 

Wild Bait Harvesters

As a wild bait harvester, you can help protect our natural areas from invaders by integrating the following relevant guidelines into your business activities. Learn more about the link between bait and AIM and be sure to share these tips with your customers and other harvesters.

General

    • Comply with all federal, state and local regulations related to harvesting, holding, selling and distributing bait, including those governing areas where you sell and ship.
    • Determine whether existing stocks of organisms are invasive in the areas they’re held and eliminate any invasive species.
    • Consider developing a HACCP plan to comprehensively minimize the risk of spreading AIM through your business activities.

Harvesting and Hauling

Before traveling to a harvesting location

    • Check gear and determine if it was previously cleaned. If not, follow the remove, drain, dispose and decontaminate steps below.
    • Plan sampling trips so that those areas of a waterbody that are least likely to be infested are harvested before the more likely infested areas. When feasible, plan on decontaminating whenever equipment crosses a barrier, such as a lock and dam, while going upstream.

After harvesting on a waterbody is complete

    • Remove plants, animals and mud from all equipment.
    • Drain all water from your boat and gear.
    • Dispose of unwanted plants and animals in the trash.
    • Decontaminate equipment before using it elsewhere.
    • Inspect and disinfect transport tanks following each use.
    • Pump spring, well or filtered water into hauling tanks when transporting the bait to other waters or facilities—avoid using lake or river water during transport.
    • Comply with all regulations related to the disposal of water in hauling tanks avoiding direct release into surface waters whenever possible.

Holding

  • Comply with federal, state and local regulations for construction of all holding ponds.
  • Build ponds and situate tanks to ensure that they and their contents—including any outflows and overflows—stay separate from natural or public water bodies.
  • Remove all vegetation or other excess material from animals before adding them to your pond or tank.
  • Quarantine new animals in a separate, filtered container for 2-4 weeks before adding them to a communal pond or tank.
  • Use spring, well or filtered water in ponds and tanks—avoid using untreated surface water, which may contain unreported invaders.
  • Visually and manually inspect ponds and tanks for the presence of invasive species and decontaminate if AIM are found. Decontamination information can be found here and here.

Disposing

  • Never release unwanted plants or animals into natural or public water bodies.
  • Contact a veterinarian or pet retailer for guidance if euthanasia is required.

Selling

  • Promote regionally native or non-invasive animals.
  • Avoid selling or shipping organisms to areas where they are invasive—not all invasive species are regulated. Visit the Alternatives, ND STAIR, Predicting Invaders, and Meet the Invaders pages or contact your local natural resource managers for more details.
  • Label all animals with accurate scientific and common names.
  • Avoid selling organisms showing signs of disease or parasitic infestation.
  • Ensure that customer purchases, including containers and packaging materials, are free of dirt, vegetation, animals, eggs and other excess material.

Educating Customers

  • Share your knowledge of AIM and the steps retailers can take to prevent AIM introduction and spread.