I wanted
to add a post to the fishing section here on my blog about something disturbing
I saw over the weekend. It was on a public
pier with your standard lighthouse feature at the end. In an otherwise beautiful day, with perfect
blue skies and billowy clouds there was the all too common sight of a seagull snagged
on fishing line.
He
was just roosting on top of a sign post with what initially appeared like a
broken wing. As I got much closer, I was
horrified to find that not only was there fishing line wrapped about its foot severing
it, but also a shiny half-moon shaped object on top on the gulls head, which
turned out to be part of a hook. At
first it went undetected, but soon I noticed that one eye was hooked as
well. This is horrible! I went to a couple of people close by for
help, and they didn’t seem too concerned, and actually made a joke like “its
like a lip ring” . I wasn’t laughing…in
fact I couldn’t get this poor thing out of my mind. Maybe it’s just me. I was told that my ‘heart
break wasn’t helping the animal” The
truth is, they’re right. What good did feeling
sorry for the bird help it in anyway? So
here’s my tiny contribution …at least I’ll feel better about it, even if this
may be the last day of the gull’s life..
First of all, if you are a fisherman and you’ve accidentally
snagged a bird, here’s how to remove the hook.
Instructions
1
Reel
the bird in very slowly. If you accidentally caught a bird with your fishing
line, you must ensure that no further damage is done. Reeling the bird in
quickly causes injuries, such as ripping the skin or frightening the bird,
which leads to flailing and injuring itself more. Stop reeling in the bird once
it is about 6 feet from the boat or shore.
2
Instruct
another person to toss a casting net or hoop into the water near the bird.
Throw bait or fish into the casting net or hoop, which coaxes the bird into
going near the net.
Pull
the net up once the bird is at least three-quarters of the way inside the net.
Pull the fishing line up at the same time as the other person pulls up the net.
This ensures that the hook is not pulled inside the skin or the bill of the
bird.
4
Bring
the bird inside the boat or on the shore. Have one person grab the bird's
skull. Seagulls have small heads; grab the bird behind the eyes, not at the
neck.
5
Place
a towel or a cloth over the head while one person is still firmly holding the
skull behind the eyes.
6
Hold
the wings flat against the body to avoid flapping. Have the person holding the
bird's head hold the wings down as well.
7
Locate
the hook by looking over the body of the bird or following the fishing line to
the hook. If the hook is in the wing, extend that wing while keeping the other
wing flat against the body.
8
Push
the hook through the skin until the barb of the hook is exposed. Cover the barb
to avoid losing it, then cut the barb with wire cutters. Gently remove the hook
from the skin.
9
Look
over the bird to ensure there are no additional injuries.
One last comment, I am aware that fishermen are responsible for the most part, and DO actually take precautions to avoid injuring any animals and cleaning up the lines if they are snagged. Saying that though, it just stands to reason that if there are birds around a dock area, don’t cast your line. Just don’t do it, please. In fact, take a few minutes to rethink your fishing spots to be completely away from public areas, piers, and marinas where the birds usually like to congregate.
Honestly
I am not crazy about seagulls and I know that nature can be cruel, but birds
just shouldn’t have to survive a man-made fishing sport in order to move on to
the next generation. That’s just not
natural selection.
