title: Use of herring bait to farm lobsters in the Gulf of Maine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ecologists, fisheries scientists, and coastal managers have all called for an ecosystem approach to fisheries management, yet many species such as the American lobster (Homarus americanus) are still largely managed individually. One hypothesis that has yet to be tested suggests that human augmentation of lobster diets via the use of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) as bait may contribute to recent increases in lobster landings. Currently 70% of Atlantic herring landings in the Gulf of Maine are used as bait to catch lobsters in traps throughout coastal New England.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We examined the effects of this herring bait on the diet composition and growth rate of lobsters at heavily baited vs. seasonally closed (i.e., bait free) sites in coastal Maine. Our results suggest that human use of herring bait may be subsidizing juvenile lobster diets, thereby enhancing lobster growth and the overall economic value and yield of one of the most valuable fisheries in the U.S.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study illustrates that shifting to an ecosystem approach to fisheries management should require consideration of cross-fishery interactions.
authors.affiliation: Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland, Maine, United States of America. jgrabowski@gmri.org
authors.forename: Jonathan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Grabowski
authors.forename: Erika J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Clesceri
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Baukus
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gaudette
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Philip O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Yund
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture / Q000379:methods*; D004032:Diet; D017753:Ecosystem; D005398:Fisheries / Q000379:methods; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D008281:Maine; D008121:Nephropidae; D009792:Oceans and Seas