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Bass Coast Helping To Dispose Of Fishing Debris

Bass Coast Shire Council is now the proud owner of fourteen ‘Seal the Loop’ bins which raise awareness about proper disposal of fishing debris at our beaches and waterways.

By Bass Coast - 10th May 2012 - Back to News

Infrastructure Director, Felicity Sist, said Ben Saunders and Adrian Howard from Melbourne Zoo visited the Council offices last week to deliver the bins.

"They also gave an amazing presentation on the effects of fishing debris in our oceans, and explained how these bins can reduce the amount of rubbish going into the sea," Ms Sist said.

"Ben and Adrian estimate that poorly discarded plastic and fishing waste such as fishing line, bait bags and lures kills up to one million sea birds, 100,000 sea mammals and countless fish each year.

"They told us that most fishing waste persists indefinitely in the marine environment, continuing to threaten wildlife long after it is discarded. These bins give local anglers and visitors to Bass Coast a safe and responsible method for disposal of their fishing line and hooks," continued Ms Sist.

"This is as an opportunity to make a huge impact in protecting our local marine life".

In 2010, a trial of 20 Seal the Loop bins were produced and installed in Victorian fishing locations. The project is funded by the Victorian Government using Recreational Fishing Licence fees and with sponsorship from Schweppes.

The bins are constructed from Melbourne Zoo’s recycled plastic. The name, Seal the Loop, comes from their inspiration and mascot Silva, an Australian Fur Seal. Silva was found 20 years ago tangled in a discarded fishing net. The net had cut so deeply into her that it took months for her to recover.

Once Bass Coast’s 14 bins are installed there will be 70 bins up and running in Victoria.

Ms Sist said Council will install the units and relevant community group representatives are going to contribute by emptying the units.
We are still finalising the bin locations and representatives who will look after them. The volunteers will empty the bins on a regular basis into large bags that our Waste Service staff will collect. We will then record information about the contents to help Melbourne Zoo with their data collection," explained Ms Sist.

"Our Waste Services staff have worked with the Melbourne Zoo to set up this great initiative and I want to thank them and our involved community members for working together to make this project happen. Together we are all playing an important role in raising awareness about waste disposal and preserving our marine life and habitat," Ms Sist said.


Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com



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