A German-based fly fisherman and freshwater ecologist recently shared a reminder to ditch the plastic and to avoid littering.
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While pulling in a trout in a German river, Frank Steinmann noticed something odd. After further inspection, he realized there was a plastic ring around the fish. Similar to what you would find on a plastic bottle, like the top of a Gatorade bottle.
According to Flylords, a fly fishing-focused media company, Steinmann carefully removed the plastic ring. The plastic had already embedded itself in the fish and left a nasty wound behind. Like many fly fishermen, Steinmann re-released the fish afterward.
According to the Leave No Trace organization, plastic waste is a significant problem. They say in 2018 alone, Americans created 292.4 million tons of trash. That’s 4.9 pounds of trash per person per day. A lot of this waste is plastic, especially single-use.
Many conservation-focused organizations push to ditch single-use containers and turn to reusable water bottles. National parks around the world are making similar efforts.
Check out reusable drinking containers available on Outdoors.com.