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PAC PIKEMARK FOR PREPACKED FROZEN BAITS

In July 2006 the PAC launched its 'Pikemark' which lets firms show that their products come from lawful and sustainable sources.

The initiative was launched by the Club in response to claims that coarse fish were being illegally netted in large quantities from the Norfolk Broads in order to supply the deadbait trade.

It was clear that with bait companies, and those who sell or use their products, coming under increasing scrutiny something had to be done. The Club decided to work closely with the industry to show that things were above board and that coarse fish were not being stolen wholesale to supply the trade.

Anglers can buy bait carrying the PAC Pikemark with the confidence that the PAC has checked out the supply chain to ensure the bait they are buying comes from legal sustainable sources.

Commercial confidence means the PAC can't make details of where dealers obtain their baits public but the Club insists on knowing the origins of baits and carries out background checks before allowing anyone to use its Pikemark. This ensures that the needs of pike anglers, bait suppliers and anyone else who is concerned about where deadbaits come from are met.

Look out for the Pikemark this winter!

Bait suppliers interesting to become a part of the Pikemark scheme should contact the PAC General Secretary - secretary@pacgb.co.uk

The first two firms to sign up to the scheme were Grimsby-based Baitbox and Gainsborough-based Lucebaits.

Paul Bird, managing director of Grimsby-based Baitbox, said: "We've signed up to the Pikemark because we felt pike fishing is under attack and we can see more and more people trying to close aspects of it down.

"We feel it's important for the tackle trade and the PAC to work together, pike fishing's important to us and being able to use a range of baits, including coarse deads, is important to pike anglers."

In 11 years, Baitbox has expanded to employ six people, who help supply 350 shops and 11 wholesalers around the country.

The firm supplies anglers with eight or nine tonnes of coarse fish a winter, all of which come from a large stillwater where no recreational fishing is allowed and coarse fish are harvested each year.

Neville Fickling, proprietor of Gainsborough-based Lucebaits, said: "I'm endorsing this because I'm a pike angler and I've been a member of the PAC from the beginning."

Lucebaits supplies 60 tackle shops and deals with around a tonne of coarse fish a winter - approximately 10 per cent of its turnover.

These are obtained from a similar sustainable supply to that used by Baitbox.

 

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