London, Ont., conservationist builds fishing line receptacles to reduce waste

A London conservationist is hoping people hooked on fishing will use his do-it-yourself receptacles to recycle their lines and keep them from harming wildlife. 

"It's a lot of litter," said Brendon Samuels, a Western University PhD candidate and coordinator of Bird Friendly London.

The tube stations Samuels hopes take of will give fishers a way to recycle their fishing lines after use. The units are designed to keep plastic fishing lines out of London's waters, where fish, animals and birds and get tangled. Small parts such as fishing hooks are also a hazard to smaller animals.

Samuels decided to start the project in London after hearing about a number of incidents and deaths where animals got tangled by fishing gear along the Thames River.

Receptacles for fishing lines aren't new in Ontario and the rest of Canada. Conservation areas in Toronto, Pickering and Hamilton have receptacles in fishing-permitted spots.

Animals living by the water, including the great blue heron and spiny softshell turtle, tend to hunt fish, but they're also at risk of getting caught by discarded fishing gear and swallowing hooks through other fish, Samuels said.

"We removed a ton and only scratched the surface. There's so much that's under the water and buried under layers of soil," he added.

Each receptacle is made of PVC tubes that cost $60 CAD. They can hold a large amount of plastic fishing lines before they have to be collected for recycling.

Fishers detaching their lines only need to put them in the tubes. Collectors unscrew a bottom cap to empty them annually or semi-annually.

It took a bit of work, but Samuels said he figured out how to make the receptacles without too much hassle. "I was a little bit confused standing in the aisle of Home Depot," Samuels said.

After some design tweaks, he was able to create a receptacle small enough to fit fishing lines and not take other garbage.

The waste is given to fishing shop Angling Sports London, which sends it off for recycling.

The project has support from different local groups, including the London Environmental Network and Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. 

The London Environmental Network contributed a $1,000 grant, which covered the cost of the receptacles, Samuels said.

"Your fishing line harms more than just fish and I think we're moving in the right direction by making it really easy for people to recycle their gear on the spot where they fish," he said.

The City of London has approved Samuels' project to put up the receptacles as early as next year.

Samuels also plans on providing a receptacle further southwest of London for Oneida Nation of the Thames and the Chippewa First Nation for quick recycling downriver.