Discarded fishing line kills wild life

When fishing line and hooks are carelessly discarded into the environment they have the potential to keep on injuring and killing a wide range of wildlife.

The effects of ghost nets that have been abandoned or lost at sea are well documented. But perhaps not so well known are the devastating effects for some wildlife of carelessly discarded or lost fishing line from recreational fishers.

Fish and marine mammals, birds and reptiles can become entangled in old line or snagged by hooks, resulting in serious injury or death. Shore birds can become entangled in line while foraging on the shore and land birds will often attempt to incorporate old fishing line into their nests, sometimes with disastrous effects for hatching chicks.

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council, with the assistance of funding from the Federal government�s Caring for our Country grant program, has installed special fishing line recycling bins at key locations on the Sunshine Coast.

A total of thirty six bins have been placed at boat ramps, near fish cleaning tables and at popular fishing spots on the coast.

People are urged to use the bins to dispose of any unwanted fishing line and tackle to reduce the amount of line finding its way into the environment.

The new bins follow a successful trial in the Noosa area several years ago and, once the current installations are all done, the bins will be in use right across the region.