A serious danger, facing
waterfowl and wading birds, is monofilament fishing line entanglement.
Carelessly discarded line, left behind by anglers, has the potential to
cause serious injuries and death to its victims. With early
intervention, entangled birds can be helped before serious damage
occurs. Please report sightings of entangled birds to the proper
authorities for assistance in capturing them. You can also save many
avian lives by collecting and properly disposing of any fishing line
littering our shores. Please educate your fishermen friends, especially
young children just learning the sport, to the dangers of monofilament
line litter and the consequences to our wildlife.
Many water birds also suffer
from hook injuries when in proximity to fishermen. It is a common
misconception that hooks can be left in birds because they are sometimes
left in fish. Once hooked, fishermen often cut their lines and free
these birds leaving the hooks embedded. These birds will need
intervention and the hooks removed. They are usually carrying yards of
line attached to the hooks which often gets entangled in branches or
shrubbery and the bird faces a certain death. Please advise fishermen to
use caution when fishing among birds.
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