MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Garden Route SPCA often encounters animals, injured or dead, owing to careless handling and disposing of fishing line and hooks.
Line discarded on the beach and in the water becomes entangled around limbs. Hooks are ingested by animals.
It is not just birds that suffer. Dolphins, turtles and fish are ensnared in tangled fishing line in the water and even dogs have been injured when eating baited hooks left on the beach.
Discarded hooks, often rusty and unclean, pose a health risk when they get lodged in the feet of children, adults and animals.
Please help prevent this unnecessary suffering and loss of life by being aware of the wildlife around you and by cleaning up after fishing off the beach or rocks. Make sure you take all fishing tackle with you.
Please take the following precautions:
• Scan the surrounding sky, land, and water before casting to prevent seabirds from crossing your line or stealing your bait.
• Use barbless fishing hooks, artificial lures and weighted fishing lines to avoid hooking seabirds.
• Safely dispose of fishing hooks and lines and keep the water and surrounding areas free of debris.
• Do not leave fishing poles unattended with bait dangling from the hook. Birds and dogs are at risk.
This X-ray, taken at the Garden Route SPCA, clearly shows a hook lodged inside the seagull.
What to do if you snag a bird accidentally:
Never chase the bird. If it is entangled, do not cut it free. It will fly away, trailing line behind it. Unable to free itself, it will starve within a few days and may entangle other birds or animals as well.
Lines as short as 20cm can kill. Reel the bird in slowly and gently. Don’t lift it with the line. Use a net or your hands, protected by a cloth.
Cover the bird's head and eyes gently with a cloth or towel to calm it, but make sure it can breathe.
Keep the wings folded in their normal, closed position. Always maintain control of the bird’s head and body. Find a large box and keep the bird calm and quiet while you call for help.
Call the SPCA (044 693 0824, emergency after hours: 072 287 1761) or SANCCOB (021 557 615) for assistance and advice.
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