Farmers Review Africa May/June 2017 Farmers Review Africa | Page 28

Insights Fishing Line Recovery Programme expands thanks to DPI Plastics DPI Plastics' involvement with the Fishing Line Recovery Programme, aimed at preserving South Africa's marine heritage, has seen the initiative extend to 360 bins along the coast. The bins are proudly branded with the DPI Plastics logo, helping entrench the company as the main custodian of the programme. DPI Plastics has been involved with the it has spread to include diverse areas such as initiative for the past four years, supplying the Nature's Valley, a holiday resort and small Port Elizabeth. pipes and ttings for the manufacture of the village on the Garden Route along the e AMW network aims to facilitate a guide to specially-designed shing line repositories, Southern Cape coast. Here underwater clean- best practice by developing an effective marine- explains Marketing Manager Martine up operations have targeted mono lament line waste strategy for Africa. As waste knows no Goodchild. e initiative is one of the on reefs, where it gets caught on rock and boundaries, the conference aims to draw sustainability programmes organised by other obstructions underwater when people Plastics SA, of which DPI Plastics is a member. sh. “ere have even been requests for bins for some inland areas,” Kieser notes. solve problems within countries and across borders. “We now have shing line bins along the whole Kwazulu-Natal coastline, managed by local together participants from all African coastal and island states to develop shared strategies to e plastics industry internationally is authorities, Ezumvelo KZN Wildlife, and concerned about the large in ow of plastics e AMW Conference 2017 will provide a private organisations. Bins are now at all Blue into the sea. Mono lament line is one of the global interdisciplinary platform for Flag beaches, where shing line is collected, items within this waste stream, with the stakeholders to present and discuss the most even though shing is prohibited in these areas. highest probability of entanglement for all life recent innovations, trends, and concerns, as well Bins have also been placed from Witsand to the at sea and on the coast. It has been well as practical challenges encountered and De Hoop Nature Reserve, and from Port Alfred documented how cetacea and other marine solutions adopted in the eld of debris and to Kenton-on-Sea, both popular shing areas,” mammals, together with sh, sea birds, and marine waste. Plastics SA Sustainability Manager John Kieser coastal terrestrial animals, have either been Goodchild urges other manufacturers and explains. injured or killed by being entangled in shing suppliers to support Plastics SA in its sustainability initiatives. “e success of the line. Fishing Line Bin Recovery Programme, in Commenting on the future expansion of the initiative, Kieser reveals that Plastics SA is Apart from its ongoing commitment to the particular, is clearly visible in the decrease of looking into lling those gaps between areas Fishing Line Bin Recovery Programme, DPI line wastage in angling hotspots where our bins already covered, and possibly areas on the Plastics was a key supporter of the have been prominently located,” she concludes. Namibia coastline, frequented oen by South establishment of the African Marine Waste Africans, as well as popular shing sites on the (AMW) network in 2016. It is a sponsor of the To learn more about the Fishing Line Recovery Skeleton Coast. inaugural AMW Conference 2017 from 9 to 13 Programme, or to make a donation, visit Such has been the success of the initiative that July at the beautiful Algoa Bay Hope Spot near http://www.dict.org.za/ shing_line_bins.php. May - June 2017 [28] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA www.farmersreviewafrica.com