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| Subject: Problem Pelicans. | |
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Author: Jim Day |
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Date Posted: 1041569596PST I saw a special about this on PBS... Evidently there's some problem with Pelicans at the Salton sea. Every year hundreds of them get sick from some bacteria or virus out there then spend up to three months getting "rehabilitated" by concerned citizens at a research and recovery facility.. After three months they cart them out here to Santa Monica Bay then release them. The idea is they are less likely to return once out here and won't get sick again. Classic example of good intentions gone bad. The result is we have a resident population of Pelicans that are in an unfamiliar environment, have no fear of man and expect to be fed. Since I fish on weekdays I'm sometimes the only boat out there. Almost always I've got a group of a dozen or so birds following me around, even if I'm not fishing bait. They are always the same birds. I practically know them. When I do fish bait I have to be very careful. If my bait is anywhere near the surface it's likely to become a meal and the last thing I want is to hook up a pelican. It's a sad situation. Often these birds are trailing hooks and line. It's not like we're trying to harass them but they do get tangled and hooked. When one gets my bait I always pull him in Deck him and remove not only my hook but any others I can find as well. I probably decked a dozen birds last year. Recently I heard about a fisherman shooting pelicans down out Long beach. The media said Fisherman don't like pelicans because they eat fish. Untrue!! Fisherman could care less about what pelicans eat so long as it's not on our line. Though I certainly don't agree with his behavior I can understand the frustration, we all have problems with these pelicans. I've heard that the brown Pelican is threatened: that only 30 thousand mated pairs exist today and that they pair up with their mates for life. If that is the case by all means they should be protected. I'd say this is another case where one side doesn't understand what the other is doing and why. If they want pelicans "safe" they should release them somewhere away from highly fished areas where they are likely to come in contact with fisherman. JMO Tight lines Jim P.S. Don't feed them!!!! I never feed them at all...period......ever. You give one some bait he'll follow you or anyone else he can find all day like a dog. Your just sending them the wrong message and we all pay for it. These "wild" birds need to learn to fend for themselves and stay away from men and their handouts. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |