Monofilament recycling program

Keeping Volusia County Tangle Free

Volusia County Environmental Management implements a successful fishing line recovery program that focuses on removing used monofilament fishing line from the environment. Improperly discarded fishing line accounts for many tragic entanglements of manatees, birds, turtles, dolphins, and other wildlife who often suffer from starvation, loss of limbs, and eventual death from infection, or ingestion of the line. Fishing line discarded in our waterways also fouls boat propellers and is a serious litter problem, especially around boat ramps and fishing areas. Even when the line is disposed of in trash bins, it still goes to landfills which creates the same hazards for wildlife. One solution to the problem is to have recycling containers available to boaters and fishers to safely discard their used line. The fishing line is then recovered, recycled, and repurposed creating new items such as park benches, fish habitats, and tackle boxes.

Volusia County Manatee Protection Specialists have installed monofilament recovery containers at over 100 locations throughout the county. We are looking for individuals and groups who feel a connection to the environment to adopt a container and monitor it on a regular basis. Please take a moment to click to the video to learn about Una, the Florida Manatee, and her story of entanglement and learn how you or your group can help keep Volusia County waterways tangle-free. Click on our Interactive Monofilament Collection Map in the right-hand column to find a recovery bin near you and email us at MonofilamentRecycling@volusia.org to get involved.

Volusia County underwater clean-up efforts

Volusia County Environmental Management conducts underwater clean-up events each summer. While our volunteers are working hard to keep monofilament line from entering our local waterways, our Environmental Specialists have been making an effort to remove the line and debris that is hidden below the waves and often goes unseen.

Underwater clean-up efforts are underway each year with our team of divers, spotters, snorkelers, shoreline cleaners, and boat captains. Diving at slack tide to safely free animals that are severely entangled and to remove submerged debris including hooks, lures, sinkers, nets, anchors, rope, and thousands of feet of monofilament fishing line from this popular fishing spot is an interminable task. View more underwater clean-up videos.

For a statewide view, click here: State of Florida Monofilament Recycling & Recovery Program