Discarded fishing line poses a substantial environmental threat, with potential repercussions for aquatic ecosystems, wildlife, and public safety. While fishing line bins, or TAngler Bins, are prevalent in beach and estuary areas, their scarcity in freshwater fishing locations raises concerns.
In the Hawkesbury-Nepean River catchment, wildlife, including waterbirds are frequent victims of fishing line entanglement. Notably, in 2020, a platypus residing in the Hawkesbury-Nepean River catchment drowned as a direct consequence of fishing line entanglement. This project aimed to determine if installing TAngler bins at three fishing “hotspots” in the Hawkesbury Local Government area would reduce the amount of discarded fishing line on the waters edges.
TAngler Bins were installed and between April 2019 and May 2022 across three locations (Yarramundi Reserve, Pughs lagoon and Macquarie Park). Monitoring of both the bins and surrounding riverbanks revealed 2,662 meters of fishing line were successfully disposed of in the TAngler Bins, while 612 meters of line were discarded on the riverbank.
The implementation of TAngler Bins along the banks of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River demonstrated success in mitigating the amount of discarded fishing line on the riverbank. This project revealed valuable insights, highlighting considerations such as strategic site selection, prevention of theft, and the crucial role of community education and signposting in ensuring the effectiveness of TAngler Bins in freshwater systems. These learnings contribute to the ongoing refinement and optimization of initiatives aimed at fostering responsible fishing practices and protecting the aquatic environment.