As people move to the beautiful shorelines of the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay to cool along their waters, our region sees an increase in fun, summertime, water-based activities. These activities also bring an increase of pollution that affects our local environment. This year’s activities have already produced an increase in animal entanglement injuries and deaths caused by monofilament, lures and other fishing products left on our shorelines by unsuspecting fishermen and women. These items can easily become wrapped in trees, snagged on logs or structures, and tangled in shrubbery during casting. Simply breaking these lines and leaving them where they have snared allows the seemingly innocuous line to become nooses and restraints for birds and other animals who, once entangled, cannot free themselves. Slowly, these poor creatures die by strangulation or infections caused by the persistence of open wounds. Taking a few extra minutes to try to remove this line and disposing of it properly can save our local fauna from needless deaths.
Virginia Beach SPCA has spearheaded an effort with state and local partners to clean up local fishing line problem areas and bring awareness to the problem. The “Be Kind with Your Line” campaign launched on July 14th with a multisite waterway cleanup that will remove fishing line and other debris from our waters’ shorelines. Cleanup sites include Northwest River Park, Owls Creek, Stumpy Lake Natural Area, Virginia Beach Fishing Center and West Neck Creek.
Also, look for Fishing Line Recycling boxes at your local fishing spots. Monofilament line is made of a recyclable plastic. Recycling this product gives it a second life, another reason to remove it from the environment. Find these recycle boxes at your favorite fishing hole!
Article written by Helen Kuhns, Education and Outreach Coordinator, Lynnhaven River NOW