More birds are getting caught and hooked by fishing lines and its happening in La Jolla.
“There's been a drastic rise in entanglements in seabird and marine animal over the last three years,” Azi Sharif says.
She’s part of Wildlife Jewels, a nonprofit that protects wildlife from human-caused threats.
Her team has been tracking what’s happening along the La Jolla coastline and she says the numbers are concerning.
“Since beginning of April, our data shows 84 entanglements of birds just here along the La Jolla coastline between Children's Pool and Point La Jolla. They don't make it,” Sharif says.
Sharif says the location makes the problem even more difficult.
These birds feed, rest and raise their young along this coastline the same area where her team has been documenting fishing activity.
“Right at their feeding spot and nesting and resting spot of these birds, there's lots of fishing activity going on which we have been documenting and witnessing as well,” Sharif says.
ABC10 News reporter Olivia González-Britt also reached out to local fishing community members.
One man, who wanted to remain anonymous, says he started fishing on local boats at 14.
He tells me accidental hookings can happen, but experienced fishermen know how to reduce the chances and safely release a bird if it does get caught.
He says most fishermen care about the marine ecosystem, adding that birds can even help fishermen find where the fish are.
Sharif says she wants to see changes to prevent more birds from getting caught: “We urgently ask for consideration of expanding the MPA, the marine protected area in this area.”
She’s also calling for greater monitoring and enforcement, including the possibility of using drones to identify fishing boats inside protected areas.
If you see an injured or entangled bird, Sharif says reporting it can help get that animal rescued while also giving her team more data about where and how these incidents are happening.
