P.E.I. alternative bait manufacturer sees increased interest amid fishery closure
NINE MILE CREEK, P.E.I. — It began in a yard barn.
In 2017, Mark Prevost and Wally MacPhee had an thought to create an alternate, sustainable bait to fish lobster with.
With expertise in lobster fishing and shopping for, the pair noticed a necessity for an alternate bait after noticing fluctuations in value of bait, reducing fish availability and rising waste from using conventional baits like mackerel and herring.
With a number of barrels welded collectively and a hand-cranked meat grinder, the pair experimented with elements and field-tested their new product within the waters of P.E.I. and Nova Scotia.
The consequence was a brand new bait that lasted longer and used much less mackerel and herring than conventional bait – utilizing solely 20 to 25 per cent complete mackerel and herring in every sausage.
Nevertheless, they confronted a brand new problem – turning their creation right into a worthwhile enterprise.
“5 years in the past, once we form of thought this factor up, we had been the loopy guys. Looking for buyers or anybody who may help this was subsequent to inconceivable,” mentioned Prevost, co-owner of Bait Masters Inc., chuckling on the considered their early days.
Ultimately, the duo discovered help by means of native fishers, buyers and the province, permitting them to depart the barn behind in favour of a $2-million facility overlooking the Northumberland Strait in 9 Mile Creek. Now, their firm sells its different bait all through the Maritimes and the U.S. with plans to increase additional.
“It isn’t like every other enterprise. We are actually one of many largest producers of different bait on the planet,” mentioned Prevost.
Issues to know:
- Apart from bait, Bait Masters Inc. sells merchandise and fishing gear, from coats to boots and twine.
- Bait Masters Inc. is positioned at 221 Wharf Rd. in 9 Mile Creek
- Data on the corporate’s bait and companies will be discovered online.
Prevost mentioned they by no means thought the enterprise can be as worthwhile because it has develop into and had solely set their sights on addressing sustainability points within the fishing trade. Now, although, he mentioned the corporate is in talks to probably arrange services in different Canadian and in U.S. markets.
“I may see us inside this yr probably in Maine with a licensing settlement and one other facility like this,” he mentioned. “We will make use of six individuals right here full-time and serve plenty of boats from right here. This little spot may do over two million kilos (a yr) on a single shift (per day). If we ran two shifts (per day), we might be capable to do extra.”
What makes Prevost and MacPhee’s bait particular is the way it’s made. The bait sausage, because the pair name it, is made up of 25 per cent complete mackerel and herring and 75 per cent of a mix of floor haddock racks, fish byproducts and oils, wrapped up in a biodegradable casing.
MacPhee mentioned this course of permits them to show 10 kilos of mackerel and herring into 40 kilos of bait, making it extra sustainable for fish shares and simpler to make a bulk quantity of bait in little time.
“Our goal is 10,000 (kilos per shift),” he mentioned. “We’ve performed 8,000 in round seven and a half hours. It is only a small crew, simply Mark and I and some of our mates doing it now. The cleanup is type of large on the finish of the day, however we determine we will probably be staffed up with six to eight individuals, with Mark and I right here to assist function it. Then, we are going to do 10,000 kilos in an eight-hour shift.”
Prevost and MacPhee’s bait caught consideration after a UPEI researcher performed a examine on their bait in 2020, which confirmed it caught as a lot lobster as conventional bait, whereas lasting longer and utilizing much less mackerel and herring.
Bait Masters Inc., a PEI different bait firm, is getting extra curiosity for the reason that the mackerel and herring fisheries closure in Atlantic Canada. Take a look at co-owner Wally MacPhee getting ready a few of their ‘bait sausages’. pic.twitter.com/r46Es8N5AR
— Cody McEachern (@CodyInHiFi) April 6, 2022
Recently, although, Bait Masters Inc. has seen a rise in curiosity as a result of latest shutdown of the mackerel and herring fisheries in Atlantic Canada.
Bait Masters Inc. was well-stocked earlier than the shutdown, so it didn’t have an effect on their provide of bait fish wanted to make their product. Nevertheless, Prevost mentioned there was a steep enhance in individuals reaching out about inserting orders.
“I’ve an inventory of about 100 individuals who need bait from us sitting on my desk,” mentioned Prevost. “There are some challenges that come up when you’ve got 100 names of people that need bait. There may be the logistics behind getting it out, discovering distributors. Within the States we’re fortunate, we simply ship all of it to 1 man who has a bunch of sub-distributors beneath him, however up right here, it’s a bit of trickier.”
Prevost mentioned their present facility could make between 1.6 and 1.7 million kilos of bait in a yr, and they’re able to increase and open one other facility if want be.
MacPhee mentioned whereas it is good to see some effort being made to restore the mackerel and herring shares, the shutdown is just too late and doesn’t cease different international locations from persevering with to fish them.
“It’s a worldwide problem, if nobody else stops fishing, it’s the identical faculty of fish, nothing will change,” he mentioned. “I perceive the frustration as a result of if you happen to don’t go catch them, one other nation is simply going to get them and promote them again to you at a better value. There must be a worldwide initiative to get everybody to scale back their fishing.”
MacPhee mentioned sometimes, Island fishers use round 300 kilos of bait a day, which historically consists of complete mackerel or herring, most of which will be wasted by erosion and eaten by sand fleas.
In preparation for the dearth of availability of mackerel and herring, MacPhee and Prevost arrange their product line to be adaptable to alter, permitting them to make customized bait sausages and even use totally different fish elements.
“The elements may change. It relies on the provision of the fish,” mentioned MacPhee. “If there isn’t any mackerel or herring out there to make use of, there will probably be crimson fish. Or no matter fish they use as conventional bait, we are able to all the time reduce it and use it.
“It might be extra sustainable it doesn’t matter what it’s as a result of if in case you have 10 kilos, we are able to make 40 kilos.”
Cody McEachern is a enterprise reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island.
