Fishing Line Can Be Deadly for Brown Pelicans, Other Wildlife

I’ve seen first-hand that fishing line kills. That’s my photo of the blue heron hanging from a tree. It was heart-breaking to see.

Following is a recent release from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission about the threat that line poses to wildlife, especially brown pelicans. After you read it, go to the Monofilament Recovery & Recycling Program website. And make sure that you read a couple of the listings under “Entanglement in the News.” They provide graphic evidence that monofilament and other fishing-related debris are lethal.

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In Florida, fishing is an important part of our lifestyle as well as the economy. However, this enjoyable activity sometimes can lead to problems for birds and other wildlife, such as sea turtles and manatees. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists, monofilament fishing line and fishing hooks that are improperly handled or discarded can entangle these animals, leading to injury and even death.

The brown pelican is one species that is especially impacted by monofilament line. These birds frequently spend time looking for an easy meal at piers and other fishing hotspots. They are often hooked accidently as they try to grab bait off an angler’s line. Discarded monofilament line can wind up hanging from trees, piers and other structures, and can ensnare these birds. Once entangled, pelicans can have a difficult time flying and feeding.

“We often find pelicans that died as a result of monofilament line entanglements hanging from trees and other vegetation,” said FWC regional biologist Ricardo Zambrano. “These birds often suffer for days before succumbing to injury or starvation.”

Here are some simple things you can do to help protect brown pelicans and other wildlife:

•  Properly dispose of monofilament line. If you have unwanted line, store it safely and securely until it can be placed in a recycling bin.
• Don’t leave fishing line unattended, as pelicans may be tempted to steal your bait.
• Avoid casting near trees, utility lines and other areas where your line may get caught.
• Check your tackle frequently for frayed line that may easily break.
• Do not feed pelicans or other wildlife, since it encourages them to approach fishing boats, piers and anglers. If available, use fish-scrap repositories. If they are not available, discard your fish scraps in a garbage can or at home.

If you do accidentally hook a pelican, you should avoid cutting the line. Gently remove the hook if you feel confident you can do so without causing harm to yourself or the bird. If you cannot safely remove the hook and line from the pelican, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator. For a list of wildlife rehabilitators in your area, contact any of FWC’s five regional offices or consult the Wildlife Rehabilitation Information Directory. 

Ban Lifted for South Atlantic Deep-Water Fishing

Ban was intended to reduce bycatch of warsaw grouper, a species subject to overfishing. Photo from tribenwater.com

For a change, here’s some good news regarding federal management of fisheries:

A ban has been lifted in the South Atlantic for recreational and commercial fishing for snapper and grouper in depths greater than 240 feet.

“The deep water snapper-grouper ban demonstrated the severe impacts that can result from faulty science and inadequate consideration of socioeconomics,” said Mike Leonard, Ocean Resource Policy director for the American Sportfishing Association (ASA).

“Thankfully, the South Atlantic Council (SAC) and NOAA Fisheries acknowledged the severity of this ban and are now contemplating other, less restrictive measures to address overfishing issues without closing off a massive area of the ocean to fishing.”

ASA reports that the 240-foot closure was implemented to reduce bycatch of speckled hind and warsaw grouper, two species subject to overfishing. After taking into consideration the high economic cost of the ban to the sportfishing industry, and a new analysis of fisheries data, the SAC determined that the ban was not necessary to achieve the goal of ending overfishing for speckled hind and warsaw grouper. 

The SAC now is exploring other measures to address overfishing of speckled hind and warsaw grouper at a lesser cost to the sportfishing community. A proposal under development includes additional measures to reduce bycatch of these two species, as well as expansion of existing, and establishment of new, closed areas.

“It is unfortunate that the South Atlantic Council originally felt it had to take such drastic measures that resulted in lost jobs and undue economic hardship,” said Ken Haddad, ASA’s Marine Fisheries advisor.

“Anglers and the industry are willing to make sacrifices for the betterment of fisheries resources, but these decisions must be based on solid science with an aim towards reducing negative economic impacts. We look forward to working with the South Atlantic Council and NOAA Fisheries to explore other options to rebuild fisheries while still allowing reasonable access to the fisheries we depend on.”

The Kingbird Compromise

Remember compromise?

I had all but forgotten about it, even though my friend Jim Martin of the Berkley Conservation Institute believes that it’s an important tool for fisheries management.

Caught up in the political polarization of this country, I wasn’t buying it for fisheries --- or anything else, for that matter.

Then came the mysterious case of what appeared to be a giant dropping his drawers and spraying explosive diarrhea across the back of my house. I found it a week ago today, brown drippings all over the siding under the deck that covers my back porch. Brown blobs mixed with moss and twigs littered the concrete directly below the siding.

Simultaneously disgusted and mystified, I hosed off the mess and went for my morning walk.  The next morning, I found more of the same and caught just a glimpse of a kingbird flying out from under the deck.

Looking more carefully, I noticed globs of mud on a small copper pipe that runs for about 20 feet along the back side of the deck. The kingbird was trying to build a nest on the pipe. But because it was too narrow and too far from the house for stability, a dirty mess dripped onto the siding and fell to the porch.

This time, I decided to leave the mess and see if the bird could build the nest.

I left it until Saturday night. By then, the kingbird had tried every inch of that pipe and the back side of my house now appeared to be made of sod instead of vinyl. I could have planted a vegetable garden in the dirt on the porch. But still no nest.

Surely the bird has given up, I decided, as I spent an hour or so cleaning up the mess.

But Sunday morning came and, incredibly, the bird was still at it.

My first thought was that I will have to shoot the bird to get it to stop. I didn’t want to do that. I like kingbirds. They’re feisty little black, gray, and white birds that nab insects in flight. I see them often along the shoreline and among the wildflowers.

Instead of grabbing the .22, though, I strung sparkly ribbon along most of the pipe, leaving a portion near the corner of the house untouched. There I wedged an old wash cloth into the space between the pipe and the house, and I went for my walk.

A little more than an hour later, I returned to find the kingbird well on its way to building a nest on that wash-cloth platform.

This morning, the nest is all but finished and I look forward to watching the bird raise its young there.

So, where does the compromise come in? Well, only after the fact did I realize that is what I had done. To say the least, I was stunned. 

Instead of killing the kingbird or exhausting myself trying to keep it away from the house, I acknowledged its determination, eliminated most of the pipe with dangling ribbon, and assisted with the startup.

In return, the kingbird cooperated, and it no longer is dripping muck all over the siding and the porch. Even the area under the nest itself is clean.

And later on this summer, a new generation of kingbirds will help keep the insect population under control.

I still don’t know how I came to compromise with the kingbird, but I’m glad that I did. It restores my faith. If a man and a bird can do it, why not the well-paid public officials who now so poorly govern us?  

Speak Up for Sportsmen's Heritage Act

Contact your U.S. Senator today and urge him or her to support the Senate equivalent of House’s Sportsmen’s Heritage Act of 2012 (H.R. 4089).

According to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), the House version is a compilation of three Senate bills, S. 2066, S. 1066, and S. 838, “and an additional provision that promotes and advances our hunting and recreational fishing and shooting heritage.”

Forty groups recently joined the CSF in sending a letter to Senate leadership in support of the legislation. They include American Sportfishing Association, B.A.S.S., Coastal Conservation Association, Shimano, and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

Here are some of the highlights from the House bill:

• requires hunting and recreational shooting and fishing to be recognized activities on all Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands;
• protects recreational shooting on National Monuments under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management;
• amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow hunters who legally harvested polar bears in Canada prior to its listing under the Endangered Species Act to purchase permits in order to transport their trophies into the U.S.;
• and clarifies that the Environmental Protection Agency does not have the jurisdiction to regulate traditional ammunition with lead components and lead fishing tackle.