'Heartbreaking' find on edge of Aussie river triggers plea to 'careless' fishers
Wildlife rescuers and twins Paula and Bridgette Powers were called to the river in Maroochydore on Sunday to rescue a severely injured pelican.
Fishers are once again being urged to “take extra care” and clean up after themselves after two licensed wildlife rescuers made a disturbing find under an injured pelican’s wing. A family enjoying a day of fishing in Maroochydore, on the Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, on Sunday called twins Paula and Bridgette Powers for help after spotting the large bird struggling to swim.
“We nearly had a heart attack when we lifted up the wing and saw all the gang hooks,” the sisters told Yahoo News on Monday. Gang hooks refer to a series of fish hooks linked together on a line, which are designed for large bait.
“She had another hook in another wing, she had another hook in the leg with a heavy sinker, and she was wrapped around with a lot of fish in line. She couldn’t paddle properly, the poor darling.”
Photos show the twins standing on the edge of the Maroochy river trying to coax the “hesitant” pelican toward them, which they say took about 10 minutes. “The family that reported her, they were over the moon that we got her,” the twins said, adding they have since named the bird Lizzie after “their little girl who was so worried for her”.
Twins able to remove all hooks and fishing line from pelican
The wildlife rescuers told Yahoo they were able to remove all of the hooks and tangled fishing line from the pelican on site. As they tended to it in the back of their van, “a nice, kind fisherman” came along and offered to help them cut the barbs off.
“At first we thought we might have had to take her to a vet, but no, we managed to remove all the hooks, and she was so calm and collected in our arms — she was a good patient,” they said.
“Now she’s just here at our centre on some rest time now, because she did have a bit of a slight limp, so she’s on some antibiotics and pain relief. She wouldn’t have got much sleep for the last few days.”
The pelican will be in their care for at least a week before she is released.
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Fishers urged to be responsible and dispose of tackle properly
The rescue and state of the bird has triggered renewed calls for fishers to be responsible and not dump unwanted materials — an ongoing issue plaguing the environment.
Several people have commented on the Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue Facebook page that the close call was “a good reminder to those who fish to rescue all your lines and hooks when you can”. “The continued selfishness and indifference of people towards wildlife makes me so angry,” one person fumed.
“There should be more awareness on the TV! Especially on those fishing shows. My husband always watches those shows and I never see anyone talking about being responsible with their fishing gear and what they leave behind,” someone else suggested.
Another woman posted a photo of dozens of discarded fishing hooks and lures she found “beside the lake” in Beachmere, north of Brisbane, on Sunday. “So careless,” she said, adding she feared for dog owners who often walk in the area.
Paula and Bridgette told Yahoo they have “been very busy” this winter as pelicans return from their breeding season, just as the prime time for fishing begins.
“As soon as they all started to come back, they’ve all been getting into trouble,” they said.
“So that’s what we tell people when they’re fishing to look left then right before they cast out. We know there are cheeky pelicans out there, but just throw a bit of bait onto the other side and then they’ll go for the bait instead of the line — and dispose of their tackle properly too instead of throwing it on the beach.”
How to fish responsibly, according to the Queensland Government:
Don’t throw items such as cigarette butts, plastic bags, bottles, cans and discarded fishing gear into the water — they are common causes of marine and freshwater pollution that impact ecosystems.
Use environmentally friendly fishing tackle such as lead-alternative sinkers, biodegradable line and non–stainless steel hooks.
Recover fishing line and tackle from the water — reuse any tackle you find.
Check your fishing lines and gear regularly to make sure wildlife isn’t caught in them.
Avoid fishing in bird feeding and nesting areas — keep your distance so as not to disturb them.
Collect and dispose of any discarded fishing line so it doesn’t pose a risk to wildlife — don’t leave anything behind.
If you find sick, injured or trapped wildlife, call the RSPCA hotline: 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625).
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