Nature...Wild but not so Free

[Rockshifter]

Swan paying the price of anglers after pike in local country park pond.
Fortunately local wildlife rescue managed to remove treble hook after trying to capture swan for two days.
Looks as if the bird is settling down again with its mate ... but for how long.

Local "undead" anglers don't give a ***** for birds using the pond - chucking wine bottles in pond, booze cans, snagged fishing line and broken spirit bottles littering their camp fire sites, not to mention the dug up paths full of holes where they've been digging for bait.

Park authorities feel priority is running introductory angling sessions and dealing with the problem by sticking a poster here and there to remind park users to use the park responsibly.
... would have more success by asking the swans to use their mobiles to report vandals.

 

[SpikeK6]

I do not know what the answer is to this, I used to do course fishing alot around my local lake when I was 13-14 years old and it happened then and its still happening.

Trouble is though you put a hook on the end of your line cast it out and it gets snagged you try to release it and it snaps what are you meant to do??

I know thats not that answer, I guess its the same as a trawlers net getting snagged and having to be cut free.

Shame about the swan they are beautiful birds.

 

[bildo]

Stunning bird and sad to see it with the hook in it's mouth like that.

Never been a big fan of fishing personally, and I'd say the reasons in your posts pretty much sum up why!

 

[J H Foto]

So very sad to see that wonderful bird hampered by human actions....

 

[Rockshifter]

Thanks for comments guys.
Think maybe single, barbless hooks would be much less likely to cause permanent injury, but unlikely to be enforced.
Lead shot for weights was outlawed a few years back which helped stop swans being poisoned.
Mindless morons are a more difficult problem to deal with.

 

[Hiphopapotamus]

Now who's brave enough to remove it??

 

[Nespresco]

I do go fishing; mostly in the sea, and always try to be as responsible as possible with regards to the environment. Unfortunately single hook rigs, or even just barbless hooks wouldn't solve the problem and would be extremely unpopular with fishermen. Unfortunately lines tend to get snagged and often it is not possible to free the line and it breaks leaving a possibly baited hook loose. The real issue is education, if everyone was fully aware of the consequences of their actions then a lot of these things could be prevented.

 

[mark2002]

That is a pike trace, a treble hook on the end of a wire trace, I can only quess here but i would suspect the person was obviously pike fishing with either live or dead bait (fish) and the swan has swam thru his lines, causing this. The size of the hook was intended to catch big fish and again i assume this is a one in a few million chance. There are not that many pike anglers around today so its rare to happen and of course saddening but i would bet the swan survives ok.

Oh and it looks like its a barbless hook so should come out quickly.

 

[mark2002]

Now who's brave enough to remove it??

Swans aint that much of a problem if you grab it round its body holding wings into body there pretty easy to deal with, I wouldnt expect anyone to do it though.

 

[Rockshifter]

Thanks for fishing comments.
In pond are some very large pike which are the main target for the local anglers.

Update ...

Swan seems fine.
Have started building nest on the island.
Hopefully all will go well and I can post some sygnet pix in a few months.

 

[JohnC6]

At a local pond, frequented by swans and ducks, there was same problem and it couldn't be sorted (the signs were vandalised) as the numpties were just that - bone-headed numpties (mainly youngsters not responsible anglers) so the LA emptied the pond of fish. Job done.

Now the signets and chicks have a better chance of survival- I was told that the pike used to come up and grab them.If we could just rid ourselves of the overpopulation of gulls all would be fine .

 

[Rockshifter]

Have had a few private messages on this, so perhaps I've not been clear on outcome...

Local rescue have removed hook and line and swan is back to good health and swimming around normally, so all is well at the pond again.

Thanks for all those showing concern.

Cheers
Charles