Bait digging takes place on very few National Trust properties, but is a cause for concern because of the potentially damaging impacts on nature conservation interests. As with most activities, scale and good practice are important: hand digging by small numbers of people is probably sustainable; larger scale, commercial or mechanical extraction may not be. Both target and non-target species can recover from digging quickly, but conversely, over-exploitation can lead to severe depletion or local extinctions.

The activity requires investigation and review with advice from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the statutory conservation bodies.

Guiding principles

1. Recognising the damaging impacts bait digging can have, the National Trust should have a presumption against commercial use, or use on any appreciable scale.

2. Bait digging infringes the National Trust's Byelaws, unless a right is claimed and verified.

Good practice
Ideally, bait digging should be controlled by licence.

Zone foreshore to provide no-digging areas and/or areas where use is rotated, and ensure that unexploited areas are left for re-population.

Control amount of catch allowed (limit to personal use only), size of worm taken and season of use.

Limit to daylight hours in areas important for roosting birds.

Prohibit mechanical digging.

Protect nursery beds and small beaches with limited scope for recolonisation.

Require infilling of holes or trenches to effect faster recolonisation.

Ensure boulders are replaced as found.

Monitoring suggestions
Full review of this activity is needed.

Trends
Not known. Currently approximately two million sea anglers in Britain. Significant increase in bait digging in 1970s and 1980s, now thought to be stabilising.

Possible impacts

• Damage from mechanical harvesting.
• Hand digging can have the following impacts: population decline of target species (eg lugworms, ragworms and crabs), usually temporary and/or localised, but can be serious if large quantities are taken, trenches are left open, no unexploited areas are left or original population is localised.
• Population decline of non-target species, especially the larger and slow-growing species (marine invertebrates and flora).
• Habitat damage, especially through boulder-turning, with detrimental effects as above.
• Removal of bird food resource (significance not yet assessed).
• Disturbance of birds.
• Changes in chemical content of sediments overturned and exposed to air.
• Danger to other beach users from holes left by bait diggers.

Contacts and liaison

National Federation of Sea Anglers
Hamlyn House, Level 5,
Mardle Way,
Buckfastleigh,
Devon
TQ11 0NS

Tel: 01364 644643
Web site: www.nfsa.org.uk

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
The Lodge, Sandy,
Bedfordshire,
SG19 2DL

Tel: 01767 680551
Web site: www.rspb.org.uk

English Nature
Northminster House,
Peterborough,
PE1 1UA

Tel: 01733 455000
Web site: www.english-nature.org.uk

Countryside Council for Wales,
Maes-y-Ffynnon,
Penrhosgarnedd,
Bangor,
Gwynedd
LL57 2DW

Enquiry line: 0845 1306229
Email:Enquiries@ccw.gov.uk

Web site: www.ccw.gov.uk

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Nobel House,
17 Smith Square,
London
SW1P 3JR

Tel: 020 7238 6000
Web site: www.defra.gov.uk

References
Fowler, S.L. (1999). Guidelines for managing the collection of bait and other shoreline animals within UK European marine sites. English Nature (UK Marine SACs Project). 132 pages. http://www.ukmarinesac.org.uk/bait-collection.htm

Fowler, S. L. (1992). Survey of Bait Collection in Britain. Joint Nature Conservation Committee report no. 107. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough.

Huggett, D. (1992). Foreshore Fishing for Shellfish and Bait. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Sandy, Bedfordshire.

Both reports analyse the legal and biological aspects of bait digging.