The effectiveness of alternative bait in blue swimming crab trap fishing – green mussel as the main ingredient

Abstract

Blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) fishing in the Java Sea is mainly conducted using bottom gillnets, but traps are increasingly being used. Crabs caught in traps are generally larger, remain alive, and have fewer injuries, resulting in a higher selling price than those caught using gillnets. Trap fishing, however, requires suitable bait to be economically viable. The availability of commonly used natural bait, primarily ponyfish, is highly influenced by the season, and its fluctuating price is a major obstacle faced by fishers. This study evaluated the potential of alternative bait made from a mixture of green mussel and tapioca flour. The baits consisted of green mussel meat and tapioca flour at ratios of 2:1 (GM1) and 3:1 (GM2). Their effectiveness was compared with that of ponyfish bait (G0) in fishing trials conducted in September 2024 in Banten Bay over 20 days using 30 traps for each bait type. The difference in capture efficiency among bait types was not significant (p = 0.1581), although traps with ponyfish bait caught more crabs than those with alternative baits. However, crabs caught with GM2 bait were dominated by larger individuals than those caught with ponyfish bait. Our study suggests that alternative bait made from green mussel has the potential to substitute ponyfish bait in crab fishing. Green mussel is an easily obtainable and available year-round, with a low production cost, attractive aroma, durable texture, and relatively high effectiveness.