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TAngler Bin Project
Pittwater Council and OceanWatch Australia (OWA) are offering some relief to all anglers who are hooked on snags.
Line snags are one of the most common reasons for fishing lines to be cut and left at fishing spots, resulting in a threat to wildlife. To address the issue, Pittwater Council has adopted a recycling program for fishing line - the ‘TAngler Bin’ project.
What is the problem with lost and littered fishing line?
Littered fishing line causes:
- Fish habitat destruction and degradation
- Pollution of the marine and coastal environment
- Injury to wildlife
- Degradation of recreational fishing spots, and subsequent loss of quality recreational fishing experience
What Council is doing
Pittwater is the first council on the Northern Beaches to adopt the project, developed by OWA. Council and OWA will initially install 10 TAngler Bins at fishing ‘hotspots’ around Pittwater. The uniquely shaped bins, made from Vinidex PVC pipe, are easily recognisable and offer information about the project. Anglers are encouraged to keep their favourite fishing spot tidy by casting their unwanted fishing line in the TAngler Bin, which Council will collect and send for recycling.
The TAngler Bins around Pittwater are the first of 400 which will soon appear throughout coastal NSW in partnership with coastal Councils. The project has been assisted by the NSW Government, through the Environmental Trust, and from the Saltwater Recreational Fishing Trust.
Pittwater Mayor Cr Alex McTaggart said: “The TAngler Bins are a simple and cost-effective device which minimise the potential for harm and injury to birdlife and keep the coastal environment clean. They also send out a clear educational message to anglers and the general public that we need to care and look out for our wildlife and habitat.”
For more information about TAngler Bins
Contact: Ben Tyacke at Pittwater Council's Coastal Environment Centre on 02 9970 6905
or Lowrie Pryce (OceanWatch Australia) on 02 9660 2262
Impact of Active Fishing on Wildlife
Active fishing has a far more serious and damaging impact on native wildlife than littered fishing line. Active fishers, accidentally hooking birds, account for 94% of all injuries to estuarine and coastal birds. Find out strategies you can adopt to reduce the impact on native wildlife when you are out fishing ...
- Read Reducing the Impact of Active Fishers on Wildlife (PDF 500KB)
And learn more about the impact of recreational fishing on birdlife ...
- Read The Impact of Recreational Fishing on Estuarine Birdlife on the Far North Coast of NSW (PDF 1.2MB)