Local volunteers will work to save seals and other marine animals from discarded fishing equipment, environmental organisation Coastcare has announced.
The volunteers would manage the collection of discarded fishing lines and hooks along beaches from Apollo Bay to Geelong as part of a new partnership with Zoos Victoria, Coastcare said.
The volunteers would “assist in managing” Seal the Loop bins specially designed for the collection of fishing gear.
The bins included messages about “the threat that fishing material waste poses to local marine wildlife, Coastcare said.
“Coastcare is excited to partner with Zoos Victoria, to build on the results that this program has already had, in preventing fishing material waste from entering our oceans,” said Coastcare’s Bec Cross
“Every year thousands of animals, such as seals, suffer from entanglement and from ingesting this material.”
“Seal the Loop bins are specifically designed to prevent rubbish being removed by wildlife and weather. Through Coastcare’s network of coastal volunteer groups, we’ll work to increase the number of these bins along on the coastline and alongside waterways in Victoria, installing at least 40 new bins in the next 18 months.”
“Coastcare will also play a key role in promoting the Seal the Loop program and leading the annual waste assessment program. This assessment will provide us with more information about how much fishing waste the bins capture and keep out of oceans.”
“We’re keen to raise awareness that plastic waste, especially fishing line, poses a threat to marine wildlife when not disposed of responsibly.”
Coastcare has installed more than 200 Seal the Loop bins around Victoria.
