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From: DMR News Release Filed 5/27/08 GCN BILOXI, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR), along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Coastal Conservation Association and the Mississippi Wildlife Federation, are launching the state’s first large-scale monofilament, or fishing line, recycling program. Forty-five outdoor recycling tubes are being placed at piers and boat launches throughout the three coastal counties in the campaign to reduce dangerous marine debris. (See below for list of locations.)
“Monofilament poses an entanglement hazard for all marine life,” says Wesley Devers, DMR marine fisheries scientist. “Plus it causes extensive damage to boat motors and water intakes on marine vessels and industrial facilities.”
Fishing line consistently tops the list of debris found during the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup, which is held each year on the third Saturday in September. Monofilament is non-biodegradable and can last about 600 years in the marine environment.
The recycling tubes, made from 6-inch PVC piping, are posted along with signs encouraging fishermen to “Help Keep Our Gulf Clean” by dropping their used fishing line into the tubes. The used fishing line will be collected by DMR and partnering organizations and then shipped to Pure Fishing America, the parent company of Berkley fishing line. Foreign debris is removed from the line and then the line is put through a processing machine. The line is ground into tiny pieces, melted down and then remolded into various products, such as spools for fishing line, tackle boxes and freshwater fish habitats. The recycled monofilament is not used to make new fishing line.
Monofilament is a high density plastic and requires a special recycling process. The fishing line must be placed into the specially designated receptacles. Even fishing line thrown in the garbage can find its way into and along the environment or marine waters, either by blowing out of the garbage can or landfill, or by being taken out by birds or animals.
The Mississippi program was modeled after Florida’s Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program, which has been highly successful and expanded to over 40 counties since it began in 1999. The program aims to heighten awareness about the negative impacts that fishing line debris has on human welfare, marine life and water quality; to decrease the amount of fishing line in the natural environment; and to increase the amount of fishing line being recycled.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational, educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at dmr.ms.gov. Monofilament recycling indoor
and outdoor bins are being installed at the following sites in the three
coastal counties: Jackson County Mary Walker Marina Gautier River Park Tucie’s Marina Moss Point Riverfront Ocean Springs Harbor Ft. Bayou boat ramp and pier Bayou Cassotte boat ramp CC’s bait shop Singing River Yacht Club West Beach boat launch and pier Highway 90 boat launch River Park public pier Graveline boat launch Gulf Coast Research Lab River City Harbor Pascagoula Beach Park public pier** Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve**
Harrison County Point Cadet Biloxi Small Craft Harbor Pine Street pier Forrest Avenue pier and boat launch Biloxi Yacht Club Keesler Air Force Base marina D’Iberville boat ramp and pier Kremer Marine boat ramp Courthouse boat ramp Ken Combs pier James Hill Park Gulfport Lake boat ramp Moses Pier Urie Pier Gulfport Small Craft boat ramp The Harbor Shop Brady’s Bait and Tackle Gulfport Yacht Club West Side Pier Long Beach Harbor Pass Christian Harbor Pass Christian Yacht Club Wolf River boat ramp Pelican Cove boat ramp
Hancock County La Frances Fishing Camp Cedar Point boat ramp Bay-Waveland Yacht Club Bay Marina VFW fishing pier Bayou Caddy boat ramp and pier Pearlington boat ramp
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