Tackle the Tackle is a community project managed by 3199 Beach Patrol, aiming to reduce fishing tackle litter, following a source reduction plan workshop hosted by Tangaroa Blue and Frankston City Council.
- Beach Patrol has removed 19 kg (195 items) of fishing tackle from the Oliver’s Hill boat ramp area in one year.
- Council installed first Seal the Loop bin for fishers to dispose of tackle responsibly.
- 3199 Beach Patrol teamed up with Fishcare Victoria to celebrate the ‘binstallation’ with an educational fishing workshop and litter clean-up.
- The groups cleaned up at Oliver’s Hill boat ramp, collecting 38 kg of litter on the day, of which 6 kg was fishing rubbish.
Frankston community members have taken a stand on tackling fishing tackle litter at Oliver’s Hill boat ramp. Following a litter source reduction plan workshop by Tangaroa Blue in March 2018, community members identified fishing tackle litter as a pervasive problem at most of Frankston’s piers and boat ramps and decided to take action.
The project ‘Tackle the Tackle’ was implemented by 3199 Beach Patrol and worked closely with Council to install a Seal the Loop bin on the foreshore near Oliver’s Hill boat ramp, so fishers can dispose of their fishing tackle responsibly. 3199 Beach Patrol has been auditing fishing litter at the boat ramp monthly since March 2018, collecting no less than 19 kilograms of discarded tackle from the environment.
On Saturday 16 February, the team celebrated the installation of the bin with a community clean-up and an educational fishing workshop by Fishcare Victoria. 15 volunteers cleaned up 38 kg of litter on the day, of which 6 kg were fishing items, including over 300 meters of fishing line, plastic bait bags, and containers.
Only a few weeks after installation, the Seal the Loop bin already contained 1kg of tackle in the form of 65 m of fishing line, 7 hooks, and a swivel. This indicates the bin is being well-used already by the local fisherpeople.
Peter Talbot, leader of 3199 Beach Patrol and Frankston City Council Volunteer of the Year 2018 says: “It’s great to see more people dispose of waste responsibly, keeping our beach clean and safe for us and marine life. Frankston Beach Patrol volunteers remove and document Seal The Loop bin contents as part of our beach clean program. This program includes hosting schools and others to educate them about the Seal The Loop bin and other practical initiatives in place.”
Fishcare Victoria’s workshop showed participants which fishing techniques and tackle are best to use at the local fishing spots, to prevent loss of equipment.
Fishing tackle litter poses a threat to wildlife in the Bay, as well as public safety due to the risk of entanglement and injury from sharp hooks and squid jigs. Fishing line is in the top 10 of most littered items in Australia, according to Tangaroa Blue’s AMDI database.
“It’s great to see a community take such a positive and informed approach to reducing plastic waste in our waterways,” says Tangaroa Blue Managing Director Heidi Taylor.
“Through the hard work of Beach Patrol over the past year, the members were able to gather data on plastic waste and make an informed decision about how to tackle the problem.”
3199 Beach Patrol will audit the Seal the Loop bin on a monthly basis until June, to find out how much it reduces fishing tackle litter. They are urgently looking for volunteers to help out with this project. Everyone is welcome to join. More information about clean-up dates can be found on the 3199 Frankston Beach Patrol website, or alternatively, contact 3199@beachpatrol.com.au
The project is a collaborative effort between 3199 Frankston Beach Patrol, Tangaroa Blue, Frankston City Council, Fishcare Victoria and Sustainability Victoria. It was funded by the Victorian Government’s Port Phillip Bay Fund, to support the new Port Phillip Bay Environmental Management Plan 2017-2027.
