Casting out a line and reeling in a fish is the favorite activity of many anglers. However, many of the lines that these anglers use require a monofilament, or plastic fishing line. When these lines break, they pose a threat to many marine plants and animals. If discarded on land, the lines may entangle the unknowing bird because it resembles food or construction material for nests. And if these lines reach the ocean, they can cause entanglement, strangulation, and death of marine wildlife and can entangle in boat propellers.

Because Seaside Sustainability supports the discovery of the ocean, we want to make recreational fishing a more sustainable activity. To achieve this, we build small collection receptacles for fishing line, putting them on piers and docks around the city of Gloucester thanks to the generous donations from the Building Center in Gloucester. The collected lines are sent to be recycled and turned into other plastic products.

Seaside Sustainability seeks to improve the connections local people have to their environment by illuminating the heavy costs of environmental degradation and providing resources to develop and participate in solutions. The monofilament disposal tubes fulfill this mission by encouraging recreational fishing in Cape Ann and providing a place to safely dispose of monofilament fishing line.

The Marine Citizen Science team would love to bring one to your marina to make recycling fishing line simple and accessible for local fishermen. Together, with your participation, we will join a national effort to decrease the amount of monofilaments in our waterways.