Creating Monofilament Collectors to Help Save Dolphins from Entanglement
Did you know that monofilament fishing line can take up to 600 years to decompose and that it takes even longer for braided fishing line? More than a decade ago, scientists from SDRP, along with Mote Marine Laboratory, helped to create “Stow It, Don’t Throw It,” a youth-driven marine debris prevention and ocean conservation program. Its goal is to help ensure that fishing line is disposed of properly. The kids that participated in the program designed “personal monofilament collectors” that anglers could use to stash their used line until it could be disposed of properly back on shore. They gave hundreds out at fishing tournaments and other events.
Today, kids are still helping to keep marine debris from our waterways.
In April 2024, SDRP’s Dr. Katy Holmes and Dr. Krystan Wilkinson presented the program “Our Dolphin Neighbors” 
to fifth graders at Anna Maria Elementary School. The kids had the opportunity to learn what dolphins sound like and how we tell them apart using their fins. They were even inspired to make their own “Stow It, Don’t Throw It” monofilament collection bins, living up to the school’s motto of “Home of the Dolphins.”
You can follow their lead in helping to keep fishing line out of the environment and protecting dolphins and other animals from entanglement — it’s easy! Just find an old tennis ball can with a lid, decorate it to your heart’s content, and stow it on your boat (be sure to weight it down or attach it to the boat so it won’t blow away). Then, if you need to strip your line, you’ll have a handy place to stash it until you get back to shore! Unfortunately, unlike monofilament, braided line can’t be recycled. In addition, braided line is much more damaging to dolphin tissues, cutting through like a saw blade.
- Want more tips on being a dolphin-friendly angler? Click here
