Park Birds Snagged by Fishing Line and Hooks

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Prospect Park is more than for the enjoyment of people – plenty of wildlife makes their home in the bushes and lakes.

Yesterday, the New York Times reported on a recent string of incidents where birds in the park have become entangled in discarded fishing line, or snagged on sharp hooks.

The report says that fishing line left behind can ensnare ducks, shorebirds and turtles, while lead sinkers can be poisonous if swallowed. Hooks and lures can injure wildlife if not disposed of, and some birds will even use the discarded fishing line to make their nests.

In November, Patch reported that Anne-Katrin Titze, a wildlife rehabilitator who lives in Park Slope, and her partner Ed Bahlman,  in Prospect Park. Recently, she also sent word over about rescuing a Double-crested Cormorant that had a barbed hook embedded into his leg (photos of the rescue are to the right).

Patch rounded up in the park over the summer, when hooks and arrows were found lodged in the skin of birds, amongst other disturbing actions.

According to Prospect Park’s rules, catch-and-release fishing is allowed on the lakes by licensed fisherman over the age of 16. Barbed hooks and lead sinkers are prohibited, and the rules dictate that fishermen must clean up after themselves.

But the issue has become so bad, the Times says, that the Prospect Park Alliance has stepped in to post new signs around the lakes to highlight the rules. In addition, they have reached out to fishing clubs, and will start an educational campaign in multiple languages this spring.

“Carelessly discarded fishing line, with or without barbed hooks, is a serious threat to wildlife,” said Titze, via email. “Birds entangled in monofilament, if not freed, will not survive as the line tightens.”

Titze said the number of fishing line, lures and hooks stuck in trees is so bad, it almost looks like “Christmas ornaments and tinsel.”