Great Lakes
BOATUS OFFERS MONOFILAMENT RECYCLING PROGRAM BoatUS, with funding from NOAA and the
the U.S., making proper disposal of
the waste produced at a single station
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, has
monofilaments easy and more accessible,
and send this information to BoatUS for
launched a fishing line recycling program
according to BoatUS.
tracking purposes.
On its website, the foundation has a
The Reel In and Recycle program is
step-by-step program on how to build the
one small extension of NOAA’s Marine
For those Great Lakes boaters, marinas,
recycling station. The bin is easy to build,
Debris program that has led national
and/or boatyards interested in reducing
and only requires a couple of feet of PVC
and international efforts to prevent and
monofilament debris, BoatUS offers a
pipe with some connectors and adhesive.
reduce the impacts of marine waste.
Once the bin has been built and stationed,
Instructions on how to build the
the recycled material needs to be sorted
station, request forms for signage
and collected by citizens or employees of
and decals, mailing addresses, as well
the area and sent to Berkeley Conservation
as waste tracking forms can be found at
for processing. The final step is to measure
www.BoatUS.org/monofilament.
aimed at reducing excess fishing lines in waterways across the country.
three-step program to build and maintain a monofilament recycling location at local fishing spots. A network of more than 2,000 recycling stations has already been established at fishing locations around
KEN HAMMOND ELECTED NEW BOARD CHAIRMAN OF RBFF The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), which
bring an invaluable perspective
promotes participation in boating and fishing, announced Ken
to the board as we work toward
Hammond as the organization’s new board chairman. Hammond,
increasing boating and fishing
who currently serves as chairman and CEO for The Hammond
participation nationwide.”
Group, an independent sporting goods and outdoor product sales company, will work closely with RBFF leadership to advance its mission.
Hammond is active in anti-drug and stay-in-school campaigns including “Hook a Kid on Fishing.”
Hammond has been on RBFF’s board of directors since 2003
He has served on several industry
and has more than 30 years of sales and marketing experience in
boards including the American
the fishing and outdoor recreation industry.
Fishing Tackle Manufacturers
“I have had the pleasure of working with Ken on the board during the last seven years,” said Frank Peterson, RBFF President
Ken Hammond
Association (AFTMA), the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), and the Sport Fishing Institute (SFI).
and CEO. “His extensive experience in sales and marketing,
Hammond succeeds Michael Cassidy, Group Publisher at North
together with his dedication to RBFF and its stakeholders, will
American Media Group.
IJC BLAMES PHOSPHORUS FOR LAKE ERIE ALGAL BLOOMS The International Joint Commision (IJC) blamed phosphorus runoff
The combination of natural and man-made circumstances “is
from agriculture and fertilizers from household lawns for producing
unfortunately consistent with ongoing trends, which means that
the largest algae bloom in Lake Erie’s recorded history during the
more huge algal blooms can be expected in the future unless a
summer and fall of 2011.
scientifically guided management plan is implemented for the
IJC said that the warming climate and modern farming practices
region,” said Anna Michalak of the Carnegie Institution for Science.
created ideal conditions for gigantic algae formations on Lake
IJC said that federal, state, and local governments need to retool
Erie, which is the shallowest and southernmost of the Great Lakes,
their environmental programs to focus especially on cutting
containing just 2 percent of their combined waters, but about half
“dissolved reactive phosphorus,” the kind that’s more easily
their fish.
absorbed as fuel for algal blooms.
IJC said the 2011 algae bloom was fueled by phosphorus-laden
The bi-national organization also called on states and municipalities
fertilizers that were swept from corn and soybean fields during heavy
to ban the application of phosphorus-based fertilizers and manure
rainstorms. Weak currents and calm winds prevented churning and
on frozen ground. At the same time, it urged a ban on the use of
flushing that could have short-circuited its rampant growth.
phosphorus for fertilizing residential lawns.
42 GLB | May/June 14