Method for transport and/or storage of live baits, process for preparing artificial muddy sand used for transport and/or storage of live baits and container for live baits

Abstract

This invention aims to provide a method for transport and/or storage of live baits adapted to alleviate a loss occurring in the course of transport and/or storage and to maintain a freshness of the live baits for a long period. The invention also aims to provide a method for preparing artificial muddy sand effectively used for transport and/or storage of the live baits. The invention further aims to provide a container for the live baits which is convenient not only for transport and/storage of the live baits but also convenient to handle it at a site of fishing and adapted to prevent the live baits from creeping out therefrom. Method according to the invention for transport and/or storage of live baits comprises steps of: washing the live baits collected on their native seashore with seawater to remove extraneous matter such as muddy sand and then transporting the live baits to a transit station; transporting the muddy sand collected on the live baits' native seashore to the transit station separately of the live baits; packaging, at the transit station, the live baits in containers together with artificial muddy sand containing seashore muddy sand collected on the live baits' native seashore and artificial seawater; and cooling the live baits packaged in the containers and transporting them to destinations and/or storing them. Method according to the invention for making artificial muddy sand used to transport and/or store live baits comprises steps of: immersing paper product in artificial seawater to fibrillate the paper product; preparing a mixture of plant cellulose fiber of the paper product fibrillated in the seawater and muddy sand of the live baits' native seashore; and forming granular artificial muddy sand containing an amount of seawater from the mixture. Container according to the invention is adapted to contain the live baits together with artificial muddy sand comprising the muddy sand of the live baits' native seashore, the plant cellulose fiber and a certain amount of artificial seawater, wherein the artificial muddy sand being deformable, incompletely solidified and present in the form of grains each smaller than an average diameter of the live bait so that the live baits are kept in even contact with the artificial muddy sand scattering on a bottom of the container. The container according to the invention for live bait comprises a lid having a top plate and a peripheral wall A and a base having a bottom plate and a peripheral wall B so that the lid is detachably fitted to the base, wherein the peripheral wall B of the base gradually flares toward its upper opening and wherein a periphery of the upper opening is placed against an inner peripheral surface of the lid and a space is formed between the peripheral wall A and the peripheral wall B as the lid is fitted to the base.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . Method for transport and/or storage of live baits comprising steps of: 
 washing the live baits collected on their habitat with seawater to remove extraneous matter such as muddy sand and then transporting said live baits to a transit station;    transporting the muddy sand collected on the habitat of said live baits to the transit station separately of said live baits;    packaging, at said transit station, the live baits in containers together with artificial muddy sand containing seashore muddy sand collected on the live baits' native seashore and artificial seawater; and    cooling the live baits packaged in said containers and transporting to destinations and/or storing.    
     
     
         2 . Method for transport and/or storage of live baits according to    claim 1   , wherein said artificial muddy sand containing artificial seawater is prepared by granulating a mixture of said muddy sand collected on the live baits native seashore and plant cellulose fiber.  
     
     
         3 . Method for transport and/or storage of live baits according to    claim 1   , wherein said artificial muddy sand containing artificial seawater is prepared by adding said mixture of the muddy sand collected on the live baits' native seashore and said plant cellulose fiber with additives such as activated charcoal and granulating this mixture.  
     
     
         4 . Method for transport and/storage of live baits according to    claim 1   , wherein before transported to the transit station and/or destinations, the live baits are left in seawater to discharge excrement's from their body and then the live baits are taken out from seawater to make them discharge an amount of seawater taken in their body.  
     
     
         5 . Method for transport and/storage of live baits according to    claim 1   , wherein, on the transit station, the live baits are transferred into artificial seawater adjusted to have a same salinity as that of the live bait's native seawater to make the live baits discharge excrement's from their bodies.  
     
     
         6 . Method for transport and/storage of live baits comprising steps of: 
 immersing paper product in artificial seawater to fibrillate said paper product;    preparing a mixture plant cellulose fiber obtained by fibrillation in said artificial seawater and muddy sand of the live baits' native seashore;    forming artificial muddy sand containing an amount of said artificial seawater from said mixture; and    at the transit station, packaging the live baits in the container together with said artificial muddy sand.    
     
     
         7 . Method for transport and/storage of live baits according to    claim 6   , wherein said artificial seawater is adjusted to have a same salinity as that of the live baits' native seawater.  
     
     
         8 . Method for transport and/or storage of live baits according to    claim 6   , wherein the live baits are cooled together with said artificial muddy sand containing artificial seawater to suppress the activity of the live baits.  
     
     
         9 . Method for transport and/or storage of live baits according to    claim 6   , wherein said artificial muddy sand is cooled at a same temperature as that of the live baits' native muddy sand.  
     
     
         10 . Method for transport and/or storage of live baits according to    claim 6   , wherein said temperature for cooling said artificial muddy sand is 3°C.˜9° C.  
     
     
         11 . Method for transport and/or storage of live bait according to    claim 6   , wherein said artificial muddy sand is supplemented with an amount of artificial seawater by spraying said artificial muddy sand with the artificial seawater adjusted to have a same salinity as that of the live baits' seawater.  
     
     
         12 . Method for transport and/or storage of live bait according to    claim 1   , wherein a plurality of the container each containing the live baits are single outer casing at the transit station to transport it to the destination and, at said destination, said containers taken out from said outer casing are cooled or said containers are immediately distributed to the consumers.  
     
     
         13 . Method for making artificial muddy sand used to transport and/or store live baits comprising steps of: 
 immersing paper product in artificial seawater to fibrillate said paper product;    preparing a mixture of plant cellulose fiber of said paper product fibrillated in said seawater and muddy sand of the live baits' native seashore; and    forming granular artificial muddy sand containing an amount of seawater from said mixture.    
     
     
         14 . Method for making artificial muddy sand used to transport and/or store live baits according to    claim 10   , wherein said step of fibrillating paper product comprise a step of immersing paper product in the artificial seawater adjusted to have a same salinity as that of the live baits' native seawater to fibrillate said paper product.  
     
     
         15 . Container for live baits adapted to contain the live baits together with the artificial muddy sand comprising the muddy sand of the live baits native seashore, the plant cellulose fiber and an amount of artificial seawater, wherein said artificial muddy sand is deformable, incompletely solidified and present in the form of grains each smaller than an average diameter of the live bait so that the live baits are kept in even contact with said artificial muddy sand scattering on the bottom of the container.  
     
     
         16 . Container for live baits comprising a lid having a top plate and a peripheral wall A and a base having a bottom plate and a peripheral wall B so that said lid is detachably fitted to said base, wherein said peripheral wall B of said base gradually flares toward its upper opening and wherein a periphery of said upper opening is placed against an inner peripheral surface of said lid and a space is formed between said peripheral wall A and said peripheral wall B as said lid is fitted to said base.  
     
     
         17 . Container for live baits comprising a lid having a top plate and a peripheral wall A and a base having a bottom plate and a peripheral wall B so that said lid is detachably fitted to said base, wherein an upper opening of said base is provided with a flange extending outward from a periphery of said upper opening and wherein said flange is placed against an inner peripheral surface of said lid and a space is formed between said peripheral wall A and said peripheral wall B as said lid is fitted to said base.  
     
     
         18 . Container for live baits according to    claim 16   , wherein said flange is elastically pressed against the inner peripheral surface of said lid.  
     
     
         19 . Container for live baits according to    claim 16   , wherein said base has a flexibility.  
     
     
         20 . Container for live baits according to    claim 16    or    17   , wherein said base is formed with ribs.