Natural baits such as squid and pilchard have been the favored choice of fishermen for the longline fishing of snapper (Pagrus auratus) in New Zealand.
Overexploitation of fish stocks together with an increase in demand for fish for human consumption has decreased the resources of natural baits at cost effective prices. This has led to attempts in the development of artificial or reconstituted baits. In this study, baits were prepared using differing proportions of industry surplus Greenshell™ Mussel (Perna canaliculus) and gurnard (Chelidonichthys kumu), both known to be part of the snapper diet. These species also have shown high amounts of glycine and alanine, which are known to stimulate feeding behavior in snapper.