Abandoned fishing line damages coral colonies and entangles sea turtles, monk seals, manta rays, and other marine animals. Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute (MOCMI) seeks to prevent pollution and decrease harmful interactions between marine life and discarded fishing line through the establishment of the Fishing Line Recycling Program.
The FLRP provides an easily accessible method for fishers to take a hands-on, proactive approach to prevent pollution and reduce entanglement hazards by properly discarding their line. Fishing line recycling bins and educational signage are installed at 25 high-traffic fishing locations along Maui’s shoreline, harbors, and boat ramps, and on four sites in Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island.
Fishing line is routinely collected from the recycling bins, sorted of hooks and weights, measured, and recorded in our database. The line is then shipped to the Berkley Conservation Institute where it is melted down and made into fish habitat structures and other repurposed equipment.
Our team performs bi-weekly shoreline and underwater surveys to collect and document discarded fishing line and other fishing debris. The data obtained will be used to measure the program’s success over time.
We Need your Help!
If you live and fish in Hawaiʻi, please take a minute to fill out our survey – link below. Your perspectives are invaluable and we appreciate any feedback that you would like to share about improving our Fishing Line Recycling Program or otherwise.
LAWAIʻA PONO
Lawaiʻa Pono: Fishing Line Recycling Program
Abandoned fishing line damages coral colonies and entangles sea turtles, monk seals, manta rays, and other marine animals. Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute (MOCMI) seeks to prevent pollution and decrease harmful interactions between marine life and discarded fishing line through the establishment of the Fishing Line Recycling Program.
Fishing line is routinely collected from the recycling bins, sorted of hooks and weights, measured, and recorded in our database. The line is then shipped to the Berkley Conservation Institute where it is melted down and made into fish habitat structures and other repurposed equipment.
Our team performs bi-weekly shoreline and underwater surveys to collect and document discarded fishing line and other fishing debris. The data obtained will be used to measure the program’s success over time.
We Need your Help!
If you live and fish in Hawaiʻi, please take a minute to fill out our survey – link below. Your perspectives are invaluable and we appreciate any feedback that you would like to share about improving our Fishing Line Recycling Program or otherwise.
Fishing Survey