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.
