BRITISH worm-breeding expertise has wriggled across the Atlantic to head off a shortage of bait among US anglers and to keep South America's booming fish and shrimp farms supplied with food.
Seabait Ltd, a worm farming operation set up by scientists at Newcastle University, has launched a subsidiary at Franklin, Maine.
Stocks and quality of "wild" worms are running low in Maine as the traditional industry of digging them from the sand struggles to keep pace with demand.
Seabait (Maine) LLC, the first commercial worm farm of its type in the US, was set up with the help of a development loan of up to $485,000 (£301,716) from the Maine Technology Institute. Seabait has to match that funding and has begun seeking further venture capital for a large-scale expansion programme.
The subsidiary aims to build up annual production to 150 metric tons of ragworms - the equivalent of 40 million worms.
Its parent company produces about 50 metric tons, the majority exported to 20 countries.
Seabait, a research spin out company, was established in 1985 at Lynemouth on the Northumberland coast.
The business retains strong links with Newcastle University's School of Marine Science and Technology and has invested $2m (£1,244,280) in research over the past few years.
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