Toothfish bait
Our toothfish bait has demonstrated excellent catch performance and several operational advantages compared to traditional natural baits.
Sustainable bait for the future of longline and pot fisheries
Norbait develops and produces sustainable bait based on by-products from the seafood processing industry — offering stable supply, strong performance, and a reduced environmental footprint.
“Excellent hook retention and durability, even after long soaking periods and repeated thawing and refreezing.”
Sustainability
Turning seafood by-products into high-performance bait
Norbait develops and produces sustainable bait for longline and pot fisheries based on by-products from the seafood processing industry. By utilizing residual raw materials instead of whole fish, we offer a more sustainable and environmentally friendly bait solution while ensuring stable and reliable supply.
- Reduces reliance on fish that could otherwise go to human consumption
- Utilizes residual raw materials from seafood processing
- Ensures stable supply independent of seasonal baitfish availability
- Supports more selective and responsible fishing practices
- Current production capacity of 2,000 tonnes per year
Production & logistics
Production, storage and delivery from Raudeberg, Norway
Production, storage and shipment take place from Raudeberg, Norway. The bait can be loaded on truck, vessel or container for delivery to Norway and the rest of the world.
Products
Bait solutions for selective, high-performance fisheries
We commercially produce bait for both toothfish and haddock fisheries, and bait for more species is in development.
Haddock bait
Our haddock bait has shown excellent selectivity, with very low bycatch of other species, particularly cod.
Species under development
Baits for other species, including cod, ling, Greenland halibut, snow crab, and others, are currently under development.
Operational benefits
Easy to use — and more efficient
Norbait restructured bait is used in the same way as natural bait, and offers operational and economic advantages for the fleet.
- Works in all standard longline baiting machines normally used with whole fish
- Thawed and used the same way as natural bait
- Used semi-frozen for optimal handling and performance
- Lower price per kg than mackerel and squid
- Less bait weight per hook — improving efficiency and economy further
See it in action
Norbait in the automatic baiting machine
Watch how our restructured bait sausage is fed and cut in a commercial longline baiting machine.
Gallery
Research & development
Ongoing research projects
Norbait leads research projects that turn marine by-products into stable, high-performance bait — in close collaboration with research institutes and the fishing fleet.
STIMASOngoing
Stabilising, testing and implementing an effective and environmentally friendly bait for snow crab pot fishing
The Norwegian snow crab fishery passed NOK 1 billion in landed value in 2025 and depends almost entirely on squid as bait — a food-grade raw material with rising prices and unreliable supply. STIMAS, led by Norbait, aims to make restructured bait from marine by-products a stable, documented and commercially viable alternative.
Read more at FHFKey objectives
- Optimise bait recipes based on existing and new knowledge
- Establish stable production conditions and document process parameters
- Develop a standardised production procedure for consistent quality
- Run large-scale field trials aimed at commercialisation
- Study snow crab feeding behaviour in tank trials before full-scale testing
- Period
- September 2025 – August 2027
- Funded by
- FHF — Norwegian Seafood Research Fund (project no. 910385)
- Partners
- Nofima, SINTEF, Ervik Group, Ervik Marine Research, Domstein Fish and Mustad Autoline
Norbait IIIOngoing
Developing a restructured bait to replace squid in longline and pot fisheries
Large volumes of squid are used as bait in longline and pot fisheries worldwide — a food-grade raw material under increasing pressure, with volatile prices and unpredictable availability. Building on Norbait's experience from haddock bait, this project develops an all-round restructured bait made from marine by-products that can replace squid both in Norway and internationally.
Only a summary of the project is shared publicly; detailed content is confidential.
Key objectives
- Consolidate previous work and literature into a documented research foundation
- Develop and refine recipes through prototype production
- Verify catch performance through field trials in commercial fisheries
- Document quality, stability and shelf life through laboratory analyses
- Prepare selected export markets for restructured bait
- Period
- May 2025 – December 2027
- Funded by
- Innovasjon Norge (Innovation Norway)
- Partners
- Mustad Autoline and Domstein Fish
From the fleet
What our users say
Feedback from skippers and fleet managers using Norbait in commercial fisheries.
"In extensive commercial trials for toothfish, the bait demonstrated excellent hook retention and durability, staying firmly in place on the hook even after long soaking periods and repeated thawing and refreezing. The low and consistent bait weight — around 0.30 g per hook — indicates reduced bait consumption per hook compared with conventional calculations."
"Good baiting percentage. It fishes haddock well, while selecting out cod. The selectivity is very good, especially with low cod quotas. It is also easy to use in the automatic baiting machine."
"Compared with traditional mackerel and squid bait, Norbait allowed us to bait significantly more hooks. With almost no wastage in the container below the baiter and a baiting percentage close to 99%, operational efficiency was excellent. Most importantly, catch results were as good as with mackerel and squid. The bait performs best when thawed before setting in the baiter."
Get started
Request more information
Tell us about your fishery and requirements. We'll get back to you with product details, samples, and a tailored offer.
Markets
Active in fisheries worldwide
- Norway
- Iceland
- Greenland
- USA
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Mauritius
- Réunion
About us
Jointly owned by industry leaders
Norbait AS is jointly owned by Domstein Fish AS and Mustad Autoline AS, both leading suppliers of bait and equipment for automated longlining and fish processing in Norway and international markets.
Contact
Get in touch
Reach out to our team in Norway or Iceland for product information, samples, and commercial enquiries.
Global Contact
Daniel Henriksson
Managing Director
Iceland & Greenland
Siggi Þórleifsson
Regional Sales Contact
Norbait AS — 6710 Raudeberg, Norway