Fisherman's 'thoughtless' act at tourist hotspot called out by furious locals
A fisherman has been accused of carelessly discarding fishing line and leaving a trapped seabird to die.
Despite ongoing pleas and words of warning to anglers, it appears some continue to make the same harmful mistake in what's been described as an "increasing problem" across the country.
A Queensland woman hit out at a local fisherman who was claimed to have "hooked" a seabird while throwing a line in the water from a jetty on Bribie Island, leaving the crested tern with significant and likely fatal injuries.
According to witnesses, the bird had "fishing line wrapped around its neck and wing and a fish hook in its beak," but instead of being cared for it was allegedly "left to die".
A "beautiful lady" who saw the incident unfold reportedly called Wildlife Rescue Queensland to help save the bird, said the Queenslander who detailed the incident on Facebook. Instead of being "reeled in" by the fisherman, it'd apparently "drifted" with its injuries "and bashed around on the shore fracturing its wing" — further adding to its injuries.
"Your thoughtless act was so you could go on fishing and not be bothered? And doing so cost this bird its life," the local woman fumed on a community Facebook page. It's not known if the bird did survive after eventually being rescued but it's feared the incident likely had a "fatal outcome".
"It may have survived if you’d reeled it in but instead it drifted south and bashed around on the shore fracturing its wing in what is probably now a fatal outcome," the woman continued.
"Sad and needless loss of a beautiful seabird. As a community we must stand up against any locals or visitors treating our wildlife this way".
90 per cent of seabird injuries caused by fishing tackle
According to rescue group Australian Seabird Rescue, 90 per cent of the injuries sustained by our seabirds and shorebirds are sustained by discarded fishing tackle and line. Naturally, other locals shared the woman's fury.
"Shame on these fishing folks that don't give a s**t about anyone or anything around them," one lashed out. "Maybe ban fishing altogether if this keeps occurring. And that’s not a joke."
Another said it's "so disgusting that these people don't give a damn about the wildlife they damage and kill".
Calls for change to fix 'increasing problem'
Previously, Dr Danielle Huston, a vet at Animal Emergency Service on the Sunshine Coast, said it's not just seabirds and other marine life that are easily harmed, but pet dogs too. She told Yahoo News Australia that fishing-related injuries in pets are very common. While more prominent in the summer months when beaches are more populated, her clinic can see up to 10 a year, at least.
Meanwhile, Taronga Wildlife Hospital Rescue and Rehabilitation Coordinator, Libby Hall, told Yahoo they now see more animals impacted by fishing hooks and fishing lines than they used to. "It's an increasing problem," she said.
Last year, a 50kg green sea turtle was rescued by a local resident in Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney, who found the animal "weak and floating in the water" before taking it to Taronga Wildlife Hospital. There they found she had swallowed seven fishing hooks and had its "intestines pierced by fishing line".
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