Cleanup a reef what is best?

[Jon_R]

My daughter and I did a cleanup in florida around a pier this weekend. It was fun and amazing how bad it was.

My question is I was pulling up tons on line, hooks, and sinkers. Some of it was entangled around the reef and given the current to pull it off I thought was causing damage which I obviously don't want to do.

Is it best to get it out of there causing as little bad as you can or cut around the reef and just leave some of it entangled?

Any general guidance?


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[the other lincoln]

Well to quote a movie: "Make a good decision..."

line and hooks do little good for any living thing under the water but as you recognized in your question, you could easy tear up a reef trying to extract it all. With out actually being there I would cut back as much of it as possible. Also focus on cutting up loops so that it will not snare other critters.

 

[clownfishsydney]

With regard to fishing line, anything that is entombed by marine growth, leave, cut off the loose bits. If possible, collect hooks and sinkers. Bottles or cans etc, I only take if they have nothing living in them and little or no growth on the outside. Plastic bags always collected. Stuff like bricks (used to hold down fish traps), leave as normally home to creatures.

 

[Harmonyhallresorts]

Try to cut away as much as you can and of course gather whatever hardware/ hooks, sinkers, etc. Make sure to cut whatever you leave behind so that only free straight-ended pieces remain so things don't continue to get caught up. Try your best to not touch anything, even the rock with your hands. Try using b-b-q tongs instead. Thanks for helping the planet. Please keep up the good work.

 

[Jon_R]

Was why I asked for general guidance. Like a lawyer would say "it depends". Will work on balancing what to try and get and what to leave alone. They talked about doing it again soon. Hope the current calms down. I could do 10 times the work without the current pushing me away from the pier. Might be able to come up with a better system.

Well to quote a movie: "Make a good decision..."

line and hooks do little good for any living thing under the water but as you recognized in your question, you could easy tear up a reef trying to extract it all. With out actually being there I would cut back as much of it as possible. Also focus on cutting up loops so that it will not snare other critters.