LEWES, Del. (AP) - Researchers say a new bait alternative may help reduce the number of horseshoe crabs harvested to be used as bait.
Female horseshoe crabs are considered the best bait to attract eel and whelk, also known as conch. But harvest limits are in place to protect the population in the Delaware Bay and threatened migratory shorebirds that feed on the crabs' eggs.
Researchers with the University of Delaware and DuPont announced Wednesday that they have developed a recipe for artificial bait that uses just a small amount of crab and food-grade chemicals that lasts four days. The researchers found that the recipe was as productive for catching eel and whelk as using a piece of crab in a trap.
LaMonica Fine Foods in Millville, N.J., has started producing the bait commercially.
