A SUCCESSFUL pilot scheme which promotes the recycling of fishing line is proof positive of the huge difference a tiny effort can make to the island's marine environment, a leading conservation group believes.

The Bermuda National Trust launched the project earlier this year and believe its success could easily be duplicated in other areas of the environment. But to achieve that, residents must practise proper garbage disposal and pick up trash where and whenever they see it.

According to Trust environmental conservation officer Peter Drew, if practised on a regular basis the expected rewards of tomorrow's marine clean-up would be ever present.

"KBB (Keep Bermuda Beautiful) is running the island-wide programme and they hope to have 500 participants doing everything from scuba diving for garbage to picking up litter on beaches," he said.

"We do want to encourage everyone to go out and support that, but it shouldn't just be the day. We're hoping that day raises awareness. It should make people recognise how big an impact pollution and litter is having on our environment and participate in cleaning up on a daily basis.

"One of the things in Bermuda, is that so many people, if they're swimming and there's fishing line in the water, they swim by it; if there's litter on the ground they walk over it. They pass by it ? take a bag with you. Pick up what you can."

Mr. Drew highlighted a recent article in which stated that $500,000 is spent each year to clean up the island's parks. He suggested a public effort could put those funds to better use but that Government also has a part to play.

"We need to encourage more responsible disposal of waste," he said "That can be helped by putting bins in public locations and emptying them regularly. At the moment, many of the public docks have no disposal area which means, people leave their garbage there. If there's something there. If it's convenient.

"If it's easy ? many people will act responsibly. But if you're requiring people to take their litter home..."

It's in that manner that the Trust's Marine Environmental Committee has achieved such success with its pilot scheme, he explained.

"Basically we're trying to encourage people to be more aware that broken fishing line, line that's discarded indiscriminately into the green environment, has a huge impact, has a large toll on marine animals," Mr. Drew said. "Only a small number of those animals or corals are actually ever retrieved and then rehabilitated. The vast majority succumb, or are harmed or damaged."

As part of its project, the Trust has established six vestibules at various parts of the island for monofilament fishing line collection, each labelled with the instruction: To keep our waterways tangle-free, recycle your fishing line responsibly. The success to date indicates a need for expansion and the group is to apply for one of Government's environmental grants to take the project forward.

"Monofilament line is a significant threat," said Mr. Drew. "It has a large impact on the corals and marine animals. I wouldn't say it's the largest problem they face ? litter and plastic debris is the top issue in the marine environment.

"Any kind of plastic is detrimental. As animals eat it, it blocks their intestines. And if you look at any of the beaches, much of the waste that you'll see, is plastic.

"There's some wood and other items but predominantly its plastic and it's in all shapes, all sizes. It's not bio-degradable and it affects everything from our mangroves to our coastlines to our beaches.

"It affects the animals that we may look to catching for food, to fishing for as sport and (its presence) affects our personal enjoyment of the environment, whether it be the beach, the mangrove, our parks or any other area.

"What we have set up is a depository so that once you cut your line and pull it in, if you don't want to use it anymore, you have a place for deposit. And then, the committee members remove the line from those bins. We've been surprised at how often people are using it ? Devonshire Bay has one and it's constantly filled with fishing line ? there is of course, some trash that's put in them but there's been very consistent use of deposits for monofilament fishing line. And I guess it's helping raise awareness of the damage they can potentially cause."

In conjunction with KBB's marine clean-up, volunteers will spend the day removing litter dumped on the grounds and in the mangrove areas at Waterville, the Trust's Paget headquarters.

Their efforts will also contribute to the success of an event which will be recognised around the world ? International Coastal Clean-up 2004.

"Saturday will see an international effort, a global effort to raise awareness of marine issues," Mr Drew added. "In Bermuda, it's specifically pollution and litter and the National Trust is going to have between 15 and 20 people here. We will be just one small part of that, participating in the international clean-up but on a local level. Internationally, millions of people will be collecting and doing their part. We just wish more people made that effort."