By Dwight Smith

Fishing line, particularly the single- strand nylon variety commonly called monofilament, poses a danger to wildlife. Anglers dispose of the tangles that form from the line’s tendency to twist, and birds and other animals become enmeshed in the stuff. I had found birds that were dead or injured from getting their feet tangled in line. In some instances, animals survive these encounters, but only with the loss of a foot or other serious injuries. To remedy this problem, some organizations have placed containers near fishing areas where anglers can safely dispose of the line.

The idea came to me when I saw such bins near fishing piers and boat launches in some area parks around the metro area that Hastings could use some as well. They looked simple enough and wouldn’t cost much to make. I approached Hastings Parks and Recreation Director Chris Jenkins with the proposition that Hastings Environmental Protectors (HEP) could place these bins at various locations around the city and periodically empty the containers. The city would not have any expense or staff time for the project. The HEP Board of Directors approved funding for the project, Chris Jenkins approved the idea, and the project was on its way. The bins are built from 6-inch PVC pipe and have a threaded plug at the bottom for easy disposal of the fishing line. Graphic Design in Hastings came up with a great design and printed the signs that are applied to the bins.

Kevin Smith joined me in placing the bins at five locations in the city parks: Two at Lake Rebecca, one by the boat launch, and one near the floating pier in JC Park, and one at the boat launch at Lake Isabelle. The signs encourage anglers to dispose of their tangled lines in the bins and that the bins are there as a courtesy of Hastings Parks and Recreation and HEP. This project is another example of the cooperation between HEP and the City of Hastings Parks & Recreation.

Kevin Smith does his best Vanna White impersonation showcasing the awesome new fishing line recycling containers recently installed at key points around Hastings. Hastings Environmental Protectors installed and will maintain the containers, they hope anglers use these to dispose of fishing line they can no longer fish with. Proper discarding of fishing line protects area wildlife. Photo by Dwight Smith