Searcy, AR (LP) — It seems like 90% of the time when somebody goes fishing they reel in some type of trash or gunk. People that fish in Searcy seem to always leave behind trash more often than other places, such as parks and other outdoor facilities. The Searcy pond has trash everywhere along the backside of the pond by Sunrise Honda.
Everyone that comes most of the time seems to accidently or even purposely forget something that doesn’t make it to the trash can. “If everyone made sure they picked up one thing plus all of their stuff, as many people that come to the ponds, everything would be picked up in a night,” stated by an anonymous fisher of Searcy. When going to ponds people often reel in trash. “Last time I came, I reeled in around 20ft of broken fishing line.” The amount of people that leave trash definitely overtake people that do pick up trash. The owner of the pond would be the one responsible for cleaning the pond, but why would someone that owns a pond have to be the only one that has to clean it themselves?
People should respect the privileges given to them. Privileges are something that has been taken for granted, and people cannot understand that. Fishing in public is a privilege, and pollution levels are to high for what they should be. Not only does the pond look trashy but also the living conditions for water life is harsh. Animals have been found wrapped in line and drink wraps. “I’ve drove by this pond plenty of times and have seen people making food or opening drinks and just letting their trash fly in the wind without putting it away or weighing it down until they were ready to leave,” stated an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission official. Also mentioned by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission official, “If something serious is not done about this within the community, it will only grow to be more trash, less fish, and more heartbreak for the fishing community. It is just horrible to see.”
Everyone should feel challenged to go about their day, but if something is seen amongst the ground then make a point to stop and pick it up, even if it’s just a candy wrapper. Fishermen should make a point to make sure they are not leaving line or trash everywhere, and if a hang up were to happen then do the best possible to cut the line as close to the hang up as possible.
