By Emmsie McG
Williamstown Beach has long been a favourite spot for swimmers and fishers alike—but concerns have been raised about discarded fishing lines in the water. Swimmers have encountered lines beneath the surface, leading to unsettling experiences, sometimes taking up to 15 minutes to free themselves.
Areas of concern are the groyne and the rock wall, popular fishing locations, and local hangouts. Swimmers, including those in the Jellyfish swimming group have been caught in abandoned fishing lines whilst swimming. A couple of women were recently entangled and nearby swimmers helped free them. One woman sustained bruising from the incident. Both described the experience as frightening and said it could have been worse had they not been with others.
An elderly swimmer was swimming about 30m off the rock wall and was caught up in a fishing line that was actively being used. It took her about 10 minutes to free herself. When the fisherman was approached to cut the line he said he did not want to waste money in doing that. The swimmer was able to untangle themselves and the line ended up being snagged anyhow.
Locals say such encounters aren’t isolated. Discarded or ‘ghost’ fishing lines—often left behind when lines get snagged and cut—are reportedly becoming more common. Some can stretch up to 30 meters, drifting just below the surface where they’re hard to see. Standard fishing line can take 500-600 years to break down, and poses a real threat to our marine life as well. A Banjo shark was seen hooked at St Leonards Pier recently and had to be set free. Another ray was seen dead in the seagrass with a hook and fishing line embedded into its body.
In response, swimmers including the Jellyfish group are supporting a petition to expand the Jawbone Marine Sanctuary to include the nearby Crystals. The goal is to establish a safer zone for both swimmers and marine life.
change.org/p/protect-the-crystals-extend-jawbone-marine-sanctuary
