July 10, 2023 — The Curyung Tribe and Net Your Problem, a recycling company based in Seattle, view old fishing nets as a resource. They are collecting mesh from nets to transport to a facility where processors will convert the material into new items. The Tribe’s environmental coordinator, Desi Bond, says this work keeps Dillingham beautiful and helps preserve the land.
“The biggest thing is how we can continue to teach our children about subsistence and how we can take care of our land. And this is one really important way,” Bond says.
Fishing nets take hundreds of years to break down and release microplastics as they do. Nicole Baker, who owns Net Your Problem, estimates nearly 100,000 pounds of fish net waste is thrown away in Bristol Bay each year.
“So that’s between Naknek, Dillingham and Togiak. And if you think about the landfills, they’re not going to be able to be filled up forever. They have a limited lifespan,” Baker says.