Hooks, lines and sinkers … the painful consequences of abandoned fishing gear

One too many encounters with injured and crippled birds has prompted South African photographer and birding expert Hugh Chittenden to issue an appeal to shore and inland anglers to go the extra mile to retrieve and safely dispose of their tangled or lost fishing lines.

Chittenden, who has been photographing birds for more than 40 years and also written four Roberts Bird Guides, has seen at least five woolly-necked storks and several other species with severe injuries or lost limbs recently due to nylon fishing line tangles.

While he recognises that fishers cannot always retrieve hooks and lines snagged in rocks or vegetation, he still sees lengths of fishing line lying on the beach during his regular walks on the KwaZulu-Natal coast or when visiting inland dams and lakes.

“Not all fishermen behave irresponsibly, of course. I have friends who are keen fishermen and I know they act very responsibly and would never discard a single matchstick at the water’s edge, let alone bunches of fishing line. Sadly, however, and judging by the amount of fishing line that one sees lying around on the margins of dams and along beaches, the majority of fishermen seem to have no concern for the way they litter,” says the 77-year-old Mtunzini resident.

Sadly, he notes, it is virtually impossible to catch the injured birds to treat them or cut away lines, as most fly away when approached.

One recent exception, however, was a woolly-necked stork that he managed to corner, capture and then treat with an antiseptic ointment.

“When birds become entangled, the fishing line often becomes tight, stopping the flow of blood, resulting in swelling and eventually foot or toe loss. This also means that the entangled birds can no longer roost on tree branches at night as they no longer have the capability to clasp on to the branch when the wind blows.”

KwaZulu-Natal Subsistence Fishers’ Forum chair John Peter Narayansamy says his group holds regular workshops to encourage members to act responsibly and be aware of their potential impact on the environment.

“The only thing our anglers should leave on the beach is their footprints. Whatever they take to the beach should be taken home if there are no litter bins on the beach,” he urged.

“Sadly, there are some bad elements within the angling community who ignore the rules and not all beaches have litter bins. So, we always ask our members to remove any fishing line, plastic and other litter.  It’s not just the fishing line that’s a concern, because plastic bags can also be mistaken [for] jellyfish by turtles and other creatures feeding underwater.

Other anglers approached for comment noted that for safety and access reasons, it was impossible to retrieve every piece of fishing line tangled up in deep water, rocky areas or along muddy shorelines.

Veteran marine biologist Dr Bruce Mann notes that there have been several initiatives to curb fishing line being left on the beaches.

“One of the more successful ideas is the disposal pipes put up at piers and other popular fishing spots. Encouraging anglers to cut old fishing line up into short pieces before discarding also helps prevent bird entanglement on rubbish dumps. Burning fishing line is also an effective way of getting rid of it.” DM