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More volunteers are needed for the Skyway Pier Wild Bird Rescue Program
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INDIAN SHORES: When it gets cooler, Brown Pelicans and other water birds are hooked, trapped, and dying at alarming rates, said spokesperson Michelle Glean Simoneau at the volunteer recruitment for the Skyway Bridge Project on October 9. Since last November to May this year volunteers in the Skyway Bridge project saved more than 350 birds, said Liz Vreeland project manager.
The late fall, winter and spring seasons mean the continuation of a fight for Vreeland to save birds hooked on a wall of fishing rods and line. She patrols the south fishing pier on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge four days a week off season. The Skyway has been a little slow for birds lately she said, which is good because she can train her volunteers.
At the beginning, she started watching birds and became more familiar with the problems they encounter. She later used spot lights on her way home during the night to make sure no injured bird is left behind. Vreeland then started rescuing injured birds on both the north and South Skyway Bridge fishing piers, Fort DeSoto and Redington Pier four years ago. She also provides educational leaflets to fishermen, training, and she often picks up garbage and bundles on monofilament line on the piers.
“I do it because it is very rewarding and I really think it makes a difference. Until now I was one person running around and now I have helpers. People want to help when they see this massacre,” she said.
She says the fishermen support her after they receive hands on training to unhook birds and they often call her about injured pelicans. Each “thank you” she received from fishermen gave her more strength to continue her project, she said.
“Once you teach a person, the information spreads,” she said.
Vreeland studies the water cycles and the bird and fishermen’s patterns to determine exactly how these injuries are occurring, learning ways for fishermen and piers owners to avoid these unfortunate interactions. She picks the fishermen’s brains for knowledge of tide and fish cycles and their experiences co-existing with and accidently snagging birds on their lines. She gathers this information and passes it along as tips.
Vreeland also started a fisherman reward program, acknowledging all the good sportsmen that help a bird, pass along tips, or help she and her crew by identifying an injured bird. She said she will even replace their hook when it has to be cut out of a bird.
“I’ve found this program really gets the people on board, especially those that are annoyed by our intervention or the birds. We try to work together with the fishermen. The reward program shows them that we understand they lose a little money sometimes by freeing the birds from their lines properly, but 20 cents or $5 is not worth a life. It also allows them to be open to us and hear a little education for a second.
She said some fishermen view the birds as their enemies and she also informed Fish and Wildlife Service about abused birds she found on the piers. She said the birds are state and federally protected under law but authorities need to enforce the laws and people should catch the crimes preferably under surveillance to facilitate the process.
“I have seen fishermen ripping hooks out of the birds, slamming them on the concrete and running them over with cars. That’s why it is also important to watch out for the birds. I also need the law enforcement to be on the bird’s side because they get overlooked a lot,” she said.
The job becomes overwhelming for her when the water temperatures go down and starving birds congregate around the piers. This year she says she will have about 20 volunteers to help her. Starting next weekend the patrols will be going every weekend until next spring to help the hooked and injured birds on the pier.
“But I would like to have more rescuers to help me because in every pier there are problems with birds getting hooked,” she said.
To contact Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary's rescue hotline, call (727) 391-6211 or go to www.seabirdsanctuary.com
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