Protect Birds & Wildlife with Collection Receptacles for Fishing Lines: Part Two

In the previous post we talked about the importance of collection receptacles for fishing lines and the ease of raising the funds to install these useful fixtures in your watershed. The next steps are a little more involved as far as labor is concerned, but they are both simple and fun. Whether you’re an angler concerned about the health of their environment or a Boy Scout troop looking for a way to serve your community, installing these receptacles is a great way to help your environment while spending a day taking it easy outdoors.

Photo via Florida Sea Grant on Miami-Dade Extensions.

Sourcing your receptacles can be as simple or as involved as you’d like it to be. As we discussed, there may be non-profit organizations in your area that provide these receptacles free of charge. However, making them is as easy as screwing a few pieces of pipe together. Installation methods will vary with your location: some receptacles will be fine zip-tied to a pier, while others should be firmly bolted to a post set in the ground. In any case, be sure that the receptacles are clearly labeled with plain, easy-to-follow instructions. If English isn’t the only language spoken by anglers in your area, be sure that your instructions can be read by all audiences.

Once you’ve gotten your receptacles put together, it’s time to install them. Think carefully about which locations will work best for a receptacle. High-traffic areas and popular fishing spots are definitely good places for fishing line collection receptacles, as are those tree-lined banks where everybody seems to lose their favorite lures.

Photo by Robert Engberg.

Once the receptacles are installed, be sure to check them regularly and remove the fishing line. This can be mailed to the recycling program at Pure Fishing, where it will be made into fish habitats. These jack-shaped structures are sunk to the bottom of ponds where they provide fish with safe places to breed and feed; they are frequently used as part of reclaiming old gravel mines and other environmental restoration efforts.

Your watershed’s wildlife will benefit for years to come from this simple act of installing fishing line collection receptacles. Raising funds, getting permission, sourcing the receptacles, and installing the receptacles is easy, as is recycling the fishing line you collect. This project can be a great introduction to the process of working with your community to protect your environment.