Coastcare joins efforts to seal the loop

LOCAL Coastcare volunteers will assist in the collection of discarded fishing line and fishing hooks, under a new partnership with Zoos Victoria to protect seals in Australia’s oceans.

Seal the Loop bins are installed in fishing locations across the state – including Lorne, Anglesea and Barwon Heads – making it easy for anglers to dispose of their fishing materials and prevent further marine wildlife entanglement.

Coastcare volunteers will assist in managing the bins, which have been created from recycled plastic waste collected from Melbourne Zoo.

With more than 40 of the bins located along coastline and waterways between Apollo Bay and Geelong, messaging on the bins also raises awareness about the threat that fishing material waste poses to local marine wildlife.

Coastcare Victoria co-ordinator Bec Cross said the partnership would build on the program’s existing results in preventing fishing material waste from entering the ocean.

“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.

“Coastcare will draw on its extensive network of about 330 coastal action groups around the state, to boost the program and register more bins and bin custodians along the state’s coastline.

“We’re keen to raise awareness that plastic waste, especially fishing line, poses a threat to marine wildlife when not disposed of responsibly.”

For more bin locations, head to zoo.org.au/getinvolved/act-for-wildlife/seal-the-loop.