New Zealand has more types of breeding seabirds than anywhere else in the world, and some of them are rarer than our kiwi.
On the east coast of the North Island it is common practice for fishers to spend a whole day chasing “working birds” following schooling fish.
It is this interaction between humans and seabirds that causes their demise.
Seabirds can get tangled in fishing line and nets or caught on hooks, and if a breeding adult is injured or killed its chicks can die of starvation.
And just like an undersized fish, the way you treat a hooked seabird can make all the difference to its survival.
Fortunately, the gear you use to release a seabird is very similar to the gear we use when fishing so it is up to fishers to learn some simple techniques.
Making small changes to the way we all fish can make a big difference to seabird survival rates, and you might catch more fish too.
If you do happen to entangle or catch a sea bird, there are techniques you can use to minimise harm to the bird, whether it has been fouled in the line or has caught a hook in its beak or stomach.
Follow the step by step guide in the Safe Release Seabird Guidelines issued by Southern Seabird Solutions Trust (www.southernseabirds.org ) to learn –
- How to de-hook a captured bird.
- What to do if a bird has swallowed a hook.
Seabirds are nature’s fish finders and a Kiwi anger’s best friend. Let’s do our best to look after our seabirds and marine environment.
