British volunteers were left in a state of "shock" when they made a gruesome discovery while cleaning up a beach, according to the Dorset Echo.
What's happening?
A crew from Weymouth & Portland Marine Litter Project was cleaning Chesil Beach in Dorset when it found both a fox and a bird dead, tangled in abandoned fishing gear.
"We do not usually cover Abbotsbury but decided to visit after reports of litter on social media," said co-founder Dave Taylor, per the Dorset Echo. "We were not, however, expecting to find such a graphic example to remind us of why we started the organization."
The fox had a fishing line tangled around its legs, while the bird had swallowed a fishing hook.
Why is abandoned fishing gear important?
Sadly, incidents like these are not uncommon and are happening on a larger scale, too. Commercial fishing at sea leaves a trail of "ghost gear" that entangles all kinds of wildlife. It's estimated that between 500,000 and 1 million tons of fishing nets, lines, and gear are abandoned at sea every year.
Worse still, this plastic degrades over time, shedding particles into waterways. Those microplastics end up in our food streams. Once ingested, microplastics can exacerbate various digestive, renal, immune, endocrine, circulatory, and reproductive health issues.
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What's being done about abandoned fishing gear?
Groups like Weymouth & Portland Marine Litter Project are community-driven attempts to clean shorelines. This one, in particular, has engaged in recycling useful items they've found during cleanups.
Property managers are typically encouraged to provide fishing waste depositories for fishers to use.
"We would like to remind anglers to check the beach for tackle and not just their own before leaving," said Weymouth & Portland Marine Litter Project co-founder Jane Fuhrmann, per the Dorset Echo. "There are dedicated bins for fishing tackle at both Abbotsbury Café and the Chesil Visitor Centre."
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