A fishing trip can finish while a loose length of line is still catching animals. The hazard may be a small tangle beside a jetty, a hook left with bait or a strand caught around shoreline vegetation. Leaving it behind transfers the problem to the next visitor, including wildlife.
Preventing that injury starts before packing up. Think about where your tackle, bait and rubbish will end up, rather than relying on one last look from the car.
A small tangle can become a serious injury
Eurobodalla Council explains that fishing line can tighten around a bird’s leg, causing swelling and cutting into tissue. It can restrict movement and feeding. The line does not need to form a large net to cause harm.
Hooks create another route to injury. WIRES reports rescuing animals that have swallowed discarded hooks as well as animals tangled in line. NSW’s fisheries guidance also identifies ingestion and entanglement risks for turtles, platypus, seals and other aquatic wildlife.
A bird still able to walk or fly may therefore need help. WIRES notes that birds with line around a foot or leg can remain mobile. Their ability to move is not proof that the material is harmless.
Reduce the chance of losing gear
NSW’s responsible-fishing guidance recommends attending lines and avoiding bird feeding areas. Keep watch while fishing, and reconsider your position if it brings gear into a place where birds are feeding. Deliberately attracting wildlife with food makes sharing that space harder.
The department also recommends removing bait and securing hooks when you stop fishing. A baited hook left unattended is a hazard for wildlife, children and dogs, rather than simply equipment waiting for its next use.
Before leaving home, remove unnecessary packaging from new tackle and organise the gear you will need. During the trip, keep rubbish secure so it cannot blow or wash away. These small preparations reduce what has to be recovered later.
Put line somewhere it cannot entangle another animal
Look for a designated hook-and-line or fishing-tackle bin and follow its instructions. Eurobodalla Council describes these bins as a way to keep unwanted tackle secure at popular fishing and visitor locations. Their availability varies, so plan to carry your rubbish home if necessary.
For line you are disposing of, WIRES recommends cutting it into short lengths. Its entanglement advice specifies a bin with a lid; NSW similarly advises securing cut pieces within the bin so scavenging wildlife cannot become caught. This advice concerns discarded gear, not line attached to an animal.
An overflowing bin is not a safe finish to the job. NSW advises finding another bin or taking the rubbish home. Do not leave a loose coil beside a full bin and assume someone else will deal with it.
Keep a clean-up within safe reach
You can help with litter you did not leave, but collecting it should not mean taking risks. NSW’s fishing guidance puts safety first. Leave hazardous access, submerged gear and difficult tangles to the appropriate land manager or trained personnel.
Pay attention to hooks rather than grabbing an unidentified bundle. If you cannot safely deal with a hazard, report its location to the site manager. Do not disturb wildlife or enter a closed area to finish a clean-up.
Call for advice about an entangled bird
Keep people and pets back and contact a licensed wildlife rescue group or vet. Explain what you can see and where the bird is; follow their directions before attempting capture, handling or treatment.
WIRES warns against trying to remove a hook or line coming from an animal’s mouth. Material wrapped tightly around a limb can also be embedded in skin and require veterinary care. Do not pull at it or attempt to cut an animal free yourself.
For help, use our injured-wildlife guide and rescue contacts. Before your next waterside outing, add a rubbish bag to your kit and check where the local tackle bins are. Make that preparation part of the trip.