Every piece of trash has a human face behind it | World Environmental Day 2016

Fishing Line Bin Project

In 2010, recognising the ever-increasing hazards to animals and humans of discarded fishing line the Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT) began a Fishing Line Bin Project, a special recovery and recycling project with the local Overstrand Municipality. By means of this project the Trust increases public awareness of the negative impacts of fishing line debris and encourages correct disposal by a network of unique fishing line bins strategically placed along the coastline. The Trust, International Marine Volunteers and a dedicated group of young learners from the Trust’s Environmental Education Programme known as DEEP, helps ensure these bins are emptied, the fishing line cleaned and options for recycling are being looked at.

Today the program is nationwide and more than 350 collection bins have been installed along the coast.

In Gansbaai alone >50kg of discarded fishing line have been collected.

Marine Disentanglement and rescue

Working close with the local community, such as Cape Nature, Department of Environmental Affairs and fisherman, the Trust provides the emergency response to disentangle whales and other animals trapped in fishing lines. We attend and record all strandings of animals in the area and take samples for analysis where necessary.

Beach Clean- Ups

The DICT together with the Overstrand Municipality, local organisations and schools, the Trust organises teams to collect, and where possible recycle waste that washes up on the local beaches.

The DICT is committed to working in partnership with our community to involve them in their work to protect our unique marine eco-systems for future generations of South Africa!