Keep Lee County Beautiful is holding its 27th annual marine cleanup Saturday, Nov. 7, to fight against marine debris. The cleanup is named “Monofilament Madness” for its focus on the monofilament fishing line which is discarded or left by careless fishermen especially in the mangrove areas.

Entanglement in and ingestion of fishing gear and other marine debris is a global problem that affects a large number of marine species.  The endangered Florida manatee is no exception. Manatees are known to become entangled in various types of fishing gear and other marine debris. 

Fishing gear, primarily trap lines and monofilament fishing lines is a factor in over 85% of the live manatee rescues.

Sea turtles and marine birds can also become entangled in fishing gear and other debris. Many are injured or killed each year as the result of drowning in nets and fishing lines to ingestion of plastics, discarded line and other objects. Additionally, marine debris and lost fishing gear pose a threat to the coastal habitats of Florida’s bottlenose dolphins. 

The 2020 “Monofilament Madness” is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., which includes a volunteer appreciation lunch sponsored by the Galloway Family of Dealerships. This is a water-based cleanup that requires a personal watercraft for there are a limited amount of available kayaks/canoes.  Volunteers will go out to remove the fishing line and other harmful debris from the mangrove areas of Lee County.  

The cleanup will take place at three locations:  the Mound House on Fort Myers Beach, Salty Sam’s Marina, and Bunche Beach. Please visit the Keep Lee County Beautiful website at http://klcb.org/monofilament-madness.html to register and for additional details.

Keep Lee County Beautiful strives to have its “Monofilament Madness” cleanup bring a growing awareness and that people will be reached and their behavior modified to spare the wildlife from an agonizing death of entanglement in monofilament fishing line. Boaters and fishermen can make a difference by not letting any trash blow overboard and trying to retrieve any caught fishing line. 

About Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc.

Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc., established in 1989, is the county’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. This local nonprofit forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. For more information, call 239-334-3488 or visit www.klcb.org.