Fishers are being asked to have respect for their feathered
friends when fishing in Otago Harbour.
Spotted shags were spending much time in the harbour basin,
because of a good feed source in the area, but unfortunately
were becoming tangled or caught in fishing lines, Department
of Conservation marine ranger Jim Fyfe said.
''We just want to remind people that if you catch a protected
species, treat them with respect.''
The harbour basin was a popular fishing spot and there had
been a couple of reports from the public, who were not
''impressed'' with the way some fishers handled catching a
bird.
''If a bird is seriously injured or incapacitated, call the
Doc hotline.''
Dunedin was lucky to have such wildlife in the city environs,
so people needed to carefully disentangle the birds and
ensure they did not leave nylon fishing line and other gear
behind when they left the basin, he said.
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