Positions and Projects

Fishing Line Recycling Project - UPDATE
SAVE LINE - SAVE LIVES

Following the lead of Bermudian, Maia McGuire, in Florida, the Bermuda National Trust in 2002 launched a programme in Bermuda entitled the “Monofilament Recovery & Recycling Project”. Programmes like these, have emerged Worldwide as a result of the damaging effects of discarded fishing line in the marine environment, which when underwater is virtually invisible and can last up to 600 years. A long list of wildlife can become entangled or ingest monofilament line which can lead to strangulation, starvation, drowning and limb amputation. Recently, in Bermuda this has included sea turtles and an infant whale. Also, monofilament line is a hazard when it becomes fouled in boat propellers and can be a life threatening danger to scuba divers, waders and swimmers.

In an attempt to reduce the amount of fishing line that ends up in our waters the Bermuda National Trust has installed 14 recovery stations at popular fishing spots around the Island. They can be found at: Dockyard, Watford Bridge, Somerset Bridge, Darrell’s Wharf, Devonshire Bay, 2x Flatts, Town Cut, Admiralty House, Ely’s Harbour, Cavello Bay and Tucker’s Town Dock. In addition Fly Bridge Tackle Shop in Hamilton has agreed to accept old line from members of the public for recycling.

The Bermuda National Trust would like to thank the Ministry of the Environment for an Environmental Grant providing the funds for an awareness campaign and the installment of the most recent eight bins. In addition, the Department of Parks, the Ministry of Works, Engineering & Housing and the Corporation of Hamilton for collaborating with permissions to install the collection stations on their properties.

We would also like to thank all the volunteers and staff, who have helped to obtain materials, construct, install or monitor the stations and everybody that has helped to promote awareness of the programme.

• Please be a part of the solution!
• If you fish from a boat make it a boat rule not to throw any kind of plastic overboard and especially not monofilament line.
• Be line conscious and consider the age of your line and its strength sending old weakened line in for recycling when you purchase new.

For more information about this programme please click here to read the final report prepared, June 2006, for the Ministry of the Environment’s – Environmental Grant programme.

Hang our poster! - To print your own copy of the 11x17 poster for the project click here .