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A certain group is once again being urged to do something crucial this summer, with all Aussies urged to be on the lookout for the deadly problem when at the beach this holiday.
Fishermen who do not properly remove and dispose of their fishing line, hooks and lures while beach fishing let the local nature authorities carry out the cleaning work the mess when it causes serious damage to birds and other marine life.
In a devastating example, this week a young kookaburra was found with a large lure in its mouth. The bird was found while its parents were still trying to feed it.
“He was unfortunately unable to eat due to the lure,” officials at the Port Stephens Koala Hospital said on Friday, adding that the bird had “two three-pronged hooks” in its mouth and neck.
A team of vets at the hospital admitted the unlikely patient and provided him with pain relief before anesthetizing him and removing the hooks.
“He is now recovering from surgery and will be reunited with his parents, who are eagerly awaiting his return,” the hospital said.
“As the school holidays approach and the weather warms up, this is your friendly reminder to ensure that you safely store away all old lures, hooks and lines and take them with you when you head to local beaches for fishing.”
Yahoo News has reported numerous cases of fishing equipment causing serious injury and damage to wildlife, including a seagull photographed with a hook in its moutha pelican that had to be rescued from a boat ramp in NSW last montha female turtle found with seven fish hooks in her intestines and earlier this year a baby dolphin was spotted tangled in multiple strands of fishing line.
According to the rescue group Australian Seabird Rescue, 90 percent of the injuries suffered by our seabirds and shorebirds are caused by discarded fishing gear and fishing line.
And it’s not just native wildlife that suffers, but also Australian pets that can be caught, leaving their owners with huge vet bills.
Dr. Danielle Huston, a veterinarian at Animal Emergency Service on the Sunshine Coast, previously told Yahoo News Fishing-related injuries to pets are very common. Although more prominent in the summer months when the beaches are more populated, her clinic can see at least ten a year.
In April, an inner city Sydney council warned locals to “keep their pets on a leash at all times” as they walked along a popular harborside waterfront after a concerned resident picked up six fishing hooks in one day at the dog beach.
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