Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program

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• The earth
• is almost
• 3/4 water.

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Brevard County is almost 1/3 water.
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Imagine the Impact

• 600,000 anglers yearly.
• Since the 1940s anglers
• have used monofilament.

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Why Do We Need a Monofilament Recovery and
Recycling Program?
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To protect fish and wildlife.
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To prevent entanglement related boating and
diving accidents.
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How Does Monofilament Line Harm Fish and Wildlife?

• Ingestion

• Entanglement

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Entanglement

• Monofilament wraps around an animal and slows its
  movements which exhausts it, inhibits feeding and
  makes it easy prey for predators.
• Line can amputate a limb or flipper.
• When monofilament cuts into the skin it can cause
  fatal infections.

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Entanglement

• Entanglement leads to starvation when an animal
  gets tangled up with a tree or other fixed
  object.
• An air-breathing aquatic creature such as a sea
  turtle will drown if it becomes tangled to a
  fixed object.

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Ingestion

• When eaten, the plastics and chemicals that make
  up monofilament, can be poisonous.
• Monofilament in an animals stomach induces a
  false sense of fullness and causes it to starve
  to death.
• Monofilament obstructs normal digestive tract
  functions.

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Which Animals Are Harmed by Discarded
Monofilament?

• Birds
• Dolphin
• Manatee
• Sea turtles
• Fish, sharks, rays

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Fish, Sharks, and Rays

• Entangled fish in lost gear and nets may die from
  cannibalism, predation, or starvation
• Ingestion
• Habitat pollution

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Sea Turtles

• Ingestion
• Entanglement
• Limb amputation
• Drowning

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Manatee

• Ingestion line caught in seagrasses
• Entanglement and infection
• Limb amputation
• Drowning

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Margerito
Liberty II
Electra
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Jessica
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Dolphin

• Ingestion live fish trailing line
• Entanglement leads to infection and restricted
  ability to hunt and eat
• Increased drag imposes high energy requirements
  and can lead to drowning and predation

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Birds Osprey, Pelicans, Herons

• Entanglement impaired hunting, mobility and
  infection
• Ingestion birds that scavenge (gulls) and
  plunge (pelicans)
• Nest building (cormorants)

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How Does Monofilament Harm Scuba Divers and
Boaters?
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For divers discarded monofilament means possible
entanglement and even drowning.
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Boaters risk entanglement of their propeller, and
blockage of bilge pumps and intake valves.
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How Is MRRP Untangling the Problem?

• Public education
• Recycling network
• Cleanup events

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Public Education Media Publications

• Brochure
• Step-by-step information about animal rescue
• Emergency numbers to call

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• Flier

30,000 copies created to distribute with fishing
licenses and wildlife auto tags.
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• Poster
• A thank you to participating businesses with
  artwork donated by Guy Harvey.

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• Poster

Advertising Monofilament Madness fishing line
cleanup events.
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• Public Service Announcements

Man I love to fish
Save the Mermaids
Capt. Rodney says
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• Newspaper articles

- Space Coast Press - Florida Today - Coastal
Angler Magazine - Many local newsletters
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Public Education

• Speakers
• Fairs, festivals, presentations
• Conferences and expo displays

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Recycling
A big part of the solution is supporting
monofilament recycling.
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Recycling Network

• Indoor bins
• 35 tackle shops in Brevard County now carry
  indoor recycling bins.

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• Outdoor bins

32 outdoor recycling bins placed at boat ramps
and fishing piers. Aluminum signs are placed
where bins have yet to be installed or are not
compatible.
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Cleanup Events

• Floridas Coastal Cleanup.
• Local area cleanups.
• Professional divers to help with underwater
  cleanups.

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Things You Can Do to Help

• Volunteer
• Clean up
• Be line conscious
• Retrieve your line
• Keep line in the boat

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RECYCLE YOUR USED FISHING LINE !
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