Coastcare's Fishing Line Recovery and Education Project.

The WA State of the Fisheries Report shows that population growth is leading to increased recreational fishing in estuaries, on beaches and in embayments. Increased recreational fishing is leading to an increase in unwanted or tangled fishing line.

Local research on the extent of fishing line litter was undertaken by the Swan Catchment Council's Southern Metropolitan Coastcare Officer through site visits at popular fishing locations and discussions with Local Government Officers from City of Fremantle, City of Cockburn, Town of Kwinana and City of Rockingham.

The Fishing Line Recovery and Education Project was developed through funding provided by the previous Federal Government's Recreational Fishing Community Grants Program from the Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and supported by Total Eden and Local Government.

The project has provided dedicated Fishing Line Disposal Bins and information signs to highlight the issue to fishers and the general public, and provide a safe way to dispose of fishing line.

Providing information to schools and the general public on the possible impact on wildlife of discarded fishing line will help people to understand the risks to wildlife and how to reduce those risks.

The program was launched by Coastcare at Kwinana jetty on 15 May.

Bins and signs have been placed at other fishing spots,including:-

South Beach Fremantle
Coogee Jetty Cockburn
Val Street Jetty, Rockingham
Rotary Park Boat Ramp, Rockingham
Causeway Boat Ramp, Rockingham

Their use will be watched over the next 6 months to see how effective these bins are at collecting fishing line.

Carol Adams, Mayor of Town of Kwinana with the information
sign and fishing line bin.



Left to right:- James Booth from Total Eden, Craig Wilson, Southern Metropolitan
Coastcare Officer, Carol Adams, Mayor of Town of Kwinana.



The information sign.

This page prepared on 16 May 2008, last updated on 10 September 2008.