Written by Brianna Elliott, Biological Technician
Unfortunately, bird injury from fishing debris is not unusual along the North Carolina Coast, as demonstrated by the 16 affected birds found by Audubon North Carolina’s Wilmington staff while performing nest checks, banding birds, or observing nesting colonies and roosting flocks. In all, six of birds died from entanglement in monofilament and fishing hooks, and ten were injured.
In the instances of the six mortalities, all six birds were Brown Pelicans located on the Cape Fear River islands. They had already died when they were found. Three of the six were found strung together by a continuous line of monofilament, and the other three Brown Pelicans consisted of one adult and two nearby chicks. All too often, adults’ feet become entangled, and if the line is cut, they return to their nesting colonies trailing the line. This then often entangles other birds, eventually preventing them from flying.
Other species of entangled or injured birds included an American Oystercatcher, four Laughing Gulls, a Sandwich Tern, a Herring Gull, three Black Skimmers, and another Brown Pelican. Some birds were discovered when they were newly entangled in fishing line that had not yet penetrated skin. After pulling off the monofilament, they were usually loudly chirping, aggressive, and able to fly right away, as was the case with three juvenile Black Skimmers found on the South End of Wrightsville Beach this summer. In other instances, the bird had been entangled for some time and needed to be taken to rehab before it could be safely released. In a few other cases, the fishing line or hook was only attached to one leg, making it nearly impossible to catch a fully-fledged flying bird.
In a particularly heart-breaking case at the bird colony on the South End of Wrightsville Beach, an American Oystercatcher managed to get its legs tangled in fishing line. The material was wrapped around each leg, hobbling the bird. It was the parent to two chicks, which left the unentangled parent with the job of feeding the young. We first noticed the problem on July 4, and although we made every attempt to capture the bird, since it was still able to fly we were unsuccessful. Although the line on the bird’s right foot came free, the worst tangle, on its left foot, did not and the foot remains swollen and the bird limps badly. Its future is uncertain.
In a story with a better ending, a recently fledged Laughing Gull became entangled in about 12 feet of fishing line on Ferry Slip Island on the Cape Fear River. The line not only hampered circulation in the gull’s leg and chafed its wing raw, but it snarled on a bush, preventing it from flying away. It would have died of dehydration or starvation if staff had not discovered it and taken to a local bird rehabber. The gull was fed and its injured leg, which it could not move properly, healed. It was released recently at Mason Inlet Waterbird Management Area.
The entangled Laughing Gull chick. Staff untangled it, but it was injured and too weak to fly. By Brianna Elliott
The Laughing Gull needed rehab and upon release at Mason Inlet flew away to join a flock of other gulls. By Lindsay Addison
While much of this sounds horrific and depressing, it’s a reminder of how crucial it is for everyone to do their part in cleaning up monofilament and fishing hooks for the greater benefit of the environment. The south end of Wrightsville Beach is a popular fishing destination, and it had the highest number of birds entangled in fishing line out of the other locations that we monitor. Anglers can help by always disposing of their fishing line properly. There are two convenient monofilament recycling stations at Public Access 43 and Public Access 44, as well as at other locations on Wrightsville Beach and elsewhere. Other beachgoers can keep an eye on the sand and pick up any line that they find. It could quite literally save a bird’s—or a sea turtle’s—life. And, since monofilament takes about 600 years to decompose, it might save several lives.
If no recycling stations are available, fishing line should never be disposed of in open trash cans, especially not at the beach. Birds like crows hop into cans to retrieve food left there and bring the line back out, and when the cans are emptied, lightweight fishing line can blow away. Instead, monofilament should go home and be disposed of securely, after it’s been cut into short lengths that are less likely to entangle wildlife.
Sometimes birds dive on a lure or bait and become tangled while the line is still attached to a rod and reel. Anglers in this situation should never cut the line and let the bird escape while it is still carrying monofilament. Instead, they should try to reel the bird in and remove the line or hook from the bird. (Occasionally, even a bird that has swallowed a hook can be saved by a wildlife rehabber, and at the least it can be humanely euthanized by a rehabber.) Similarly, when line is snagged, anglers should make every attempt to recover it, rather than leaving it trailing either above or below water.
Birds and other wildlife still face many challenges, but fishing line shouldn't be one of them. Everyone can help make sure it isn't by picking up discarded line and spreading the word about why it's important to keep fishing line in a safe place.
