Queensland marine worm identification guide
Guide summary
The marine bait worm fishery is a very important natural resource in Queensland. Many people from different parts of the community harvest marine worms for their own recreational fishing, and there are significant commercial activities involving the harvest of marine worms to be sold as bait. Marine worms are also important food sources for numerous birds and inshore finfish species. To ensure sustainability of this fishery, recreational and commercial harvest must be regulated and monitored.
To minimise the impact of harvesting on the natural environment, and to maintain stocks into the future, recreational limits are in place. Possession limits are an important part of fishery regulations—they are designed to ensure the sustainability of these marine resources, provide equitable shares to different community sectors, and prevent the illegal sale of all marine worm species.
Effectively identifying the different regulated species of marine worms is integral to managing and enforcing possession limits. The Queensland marine worm identification guide will help harvesters identify these worms and understand the current regulations and management arrangements in Queensland.