Fishermen asked to help care for nature
The Garden Route SPCA pleads with all fishermen to help care for the natural resources they use by not leaving fishing detritus on the beaches and rocks. Careless fishermen are often the cause of the death of sea life. Many leave their lines and hooks, plastic bags, drink bottles and general rubbish on the beaches or the rocks, where locals have to clean up after them. The cleaners go to great lengths to extract all the nylon line caught on the rocks, going out as far as possible at low tides.
Dolphins, turtles, seals, fish and more get entwined in drifting fishing lines. Dogs are injured after eating baited hooks left lying about. Discarded, rusty and dirty hooks are a health risk and get stuck in the feet of people and animals.
The SPCA urges all fishermen to:
Make sure they take all of their fishing tackle home with them;
Examine their surroundings before casting to avoid snagging flying birds in their lines;
Keep their bait boxes closed to prevent birds from stealing hooked bait;
Use barbless fishing hooks 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.
Not leave fishing poles unattended with bait dangling from the hook. Birds and dogs are put at risk.
What do you do if you accidentally snag a seabird?
Never chase the bird. If it is entangled, do not cut it free. It may get away and trail the line behind it. If it is unable to free itself it will starve within a few days and may entangle other birds or animals as well. Even short lines of 20cm can kill. Always reel the bird in slowly and gently and 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 its wings folded in their normal position and maintain control of the bird's head and body. Find a large container and keep the bird calm and quiet while you call for help. Call the SPCA on 044 878 1990 (emergency after-hours: 082 378 7384) or SANCCOB on 021 557 615 for assistance and advice.
- Wendy Jones, SPCA volunteer