Save the Fish
Fishing line: how long does it take to break down in the sea?
Estimated time to break down in the sea: > 600 years. Source: US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (bsee.gov).
Fishing line: why is it harmful to the sea?
Nearly invisible loops entangle and drown fish, turtles and birds.
Fishing line: does it really disappear?
No. Plastic breaks into smaller and smaller pieces, microplastics, that stay in the water and inside animals. NOAA says plastic may never fully go away.
Fishing line: how harmful is it compared with other trash?
Harm score 8 out of 10: lasts 4/4, toxic 1/3, wildlife 3/3. It ranks 1 of 31 on our list. This score is our own simple scale for comparing items in the game. It is not an official index.
Fishing line: what is it made of?
Material: Plastic. A typical one is about 15 cm long and weighs about 10 g.
Fishing line: what can I do?
Carry a bottle, a cloth bag and a box: every single-use plastic you refuse is one less in the sea.
Fishing line: what lasts longer, and what breaks down sooner?
Lasts longer: Tin foil, Glass jar. Breaks down sooner: Bottle cap, Toothbrush, Plastic bottle.
Fishing line: where does this figure come from?
From “Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation”, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (Northwest District), information sourced from the US Environmental Protection Agency Gulf of Mexico Program. Checked on 2026-10-03.
The source's limits (in English): Approximate times printed on an educational poster. Real breakdown depends on sunlight, temperature, oxygen and microbes; plastics fragment into microplastics rather than disappear.