[SEMCO] Immediate Release: Wild Care Launches "Trash Your Tackle" Initiative to Reduce Marine Debris Impacts on Wildlife

Fri Apr 26 15:52:25 EDT 2019

For Immediate Release, PR below and attached.
[image: Boy Scout Trooop #83.jpg]
[image: Stephanie Ellis with receptacle.JPG]

Photo Information:
*Top Photo, L to R:* The Boy Scout Troop #83 Eastham. Thomas Johnson, Alex
Maldacker, Thomas Bean, Josh Bean, Seamus Weatherup. Contact Scoutmaster:
Jac Augat, scoutmasterjac at gmail.com, 508-776-6624)* 2nd **Photo:* Stephanie
Ellis, Wild Care's Executive Director holds a "Trash Your Tackle"
receptacle featuring sponsor logos.* Illustration**: Wild Care's "Trash
Your Tackle" logo.*
[image: TYT Logo WIld Care Trademark.jpg]

April 26, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Stephanie Ellis

Executive Director, WILD CARE Inc.

(For public - Wild Care Office) 508.240.2255

sellis at wildcarecapecod.org

(Media only - Cell) 650.319.5491

*Wild Care Launches “Trash Your Tackle” *

*Initiative Seeks to Reduce Marine Debris Impacts on Wildlife*

###

*(Eastham. *April 26, 2019)  Wild Care, a wildlife rehabilitation center
located in Eastham, is excited to announce the launch their new initiative
called, "Trash Your Tackle".  In this pilot initiative, five PVC
receptacles will be placed at separate locations in the Town of Chatham.
The receptacles will serve as repositories for derelict recreational
fishing gear - including hooks, lines, and sinkers. The ultimate goal of
the PVC receptacles is to provide a place for the public to deposit gear,
and safely remove it from the environment. The receptacles will be emptied
on a weekly basis by volunteers from Cape Abilities (Hyannis). Materials
collected will be brought to Wild Care to be weighed, itemized, cleaned,
sorted, recycled, repurposed or disposed of appropriately, depending on the
materials.

“Dr. Robert Duncanson, Director of Health & Natural Resources, Town of
Chatham was instrumental in making this new initiative happen for Wild
Care--demonstrating the Town’s commitment to a clean environment that
benefits wildlife and people,” remarked Wild Care Executive Director,
Stephanie Ellis. "Our goal is to decrease the number of fishing-debris
related wildlife casualties, and raise awareness that materials such as
fishing line, hooks, lures, and sinkers can be extremely harmful to
wildlife - even when these items are not in the water. Wild Care has seen
over 25 fishing-debris related injuries in waterbirds in the past two
years, and the numbers have been increasing annually.”

"Most people *want *to help the environment, but may not be aware of
exactly what to do,” states Ellis. “These receptacles will educate and
empower people to remove these items from the environment, so that they do
not become a hazard to wildlife, or to people. Hooks, line, jigs and
sinkers, when ingested by marine animals, often lead to obstruction,
starvation and ultimately death. Contrary to popular belief, birds and
other wildlife cannot digest hooks and plastics that get into their system.”

“The community has really rallied around this important initiative with
generous financial support and in-kind donations,” says Ellis. The Boy
Scout Troop #83 from Eastham built the PVC receptacles for the program,
with donated materials. In addition, Wild Care has received generous
donations and support from these community sponsors:

●    Cape Air

●    CARE for the Cape and Islands

●    Garvey Communication Associates, Inc.

●    Nauset Disposal

●    Nauset Marine

●    No. Chatham Outfitters (Our very first sponsor!)

For more information visit:
<http://www.wildcarecapecod.org/trash-your-tackle>
https://www.wildcarecapecod.org/tyt/, <https://www.wildcarecapecod.org/tyt/>or
contact Executive Director, Stephanie Ellis at © 508-240-2255, or email
stephanie at wildcarecapecod.org.

*Origin of Trash Your Tackle:* This pilot project  is modeled after a
similar successful initiative, launched in 2014 by the Center for
Rehabilitation of Wildlife (C.R.O.W.) on Sanibel Island, Florida called,
"Mind Your Line". This initiative was instituted to minimize wildlife
injury related to fishing. Thirty receptacles are placed throughout the
island. A recent analysis shows a downward trend in fishing-related
injuries between 2014 - 2017, in their most commonly impacted species. The
findings suggest that the program has a direct positive impact. *Trends in
Fishing Related Injuries to Wildlife in Southwest Florida, Emelie Perez, BS
Biological Sciences, 2019.*

*###*

*About Wild Care:* Wild Care’s mission is to treat injured, ill and
orphaned native wildlife for release, to prevent wildlife casualties
through public education and live counseling, and to engage the community
in conservation through volunteerism. Since our founding, Wild Care has
accepted over 27,000 wild creatures, representing 275 species of native
birds, mammals, and reptiles. On average, Wild Care receives over 1,800
wild animals per year for treatment. If you encounter injured, orphaned or
ill wildlife, please call Wild Care’s “Wildlife Helpline” at 508-240- 2255.
www.wildcarecapecod.org. Find us on Facebook, "Wild Care Cape Cod".

Stephanie Ellis
Executive Director
Wild Care, Inc.
10 Smith Lane
Eastham, MA 02642
www.wildcarecapecod.org

Find us on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/WildCareCapeCod>!
508-240-2255 office
<http://www.wildcarecapecod.org/>
   <http://bit.ly/wildcaresubscription>
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