Abandoned and discarded fishing line ensnares local birds and marine mammals

Tampa Bay Watch, in partnership with Audubon Florida, is mainly recruiting volunteers with shallow-draft boats, and has limited space for kayaks/canoes/SUPs to independently remove tangled fishing line from mangroves and shorelines of Tampa Bay’s colonial bird nesting islands. Boaters are encouraged to independently clean their assigned island anytime throughout the week of Saturday, October 6–Sunday, October 14.

Last year’s cleanup resulted in an estimated 18,860 feet of fishing line being removed from 25 different coastal nesting sites around Tampa Bay. Thank you to Sea World Busch Gardens Conservation Fund for sponsoring this important event.

Visit the link below to register your boat: