A pelican's tragic death brought residents of a Colorado neighborhood together in an attempt to keep other animals safe from discarded fishing line.
What's happening?
In the Golden Ponds neighborhood of Longmont, a town about 30 miles north of Denver, discarded fishing line has become so common that one local resident fills up bags with the litter every day, CBS News reported.
But even despite the efforts of that concerned citizen, Anna Rivas, local wildlife still got entangled in the trash.
"Percy, our little pelican, got it wrapped around his wing," Rivas told CBS News. "He ended up being unable to fly.
The community rallied around Percy, sharing photos of the pelican online and asking city officials to rescue him. After nearly a month, Longmont park rangers were able to rescue Percy, but a wildlife rescue center said his injuries were too severe, and he was euthanized.
"Their bureaucratic tape, and the rep tape for them getting out here, delayed this pelican from being able to be properly rehabilitated," community member Regina Raeley said.
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Why is this important?
Whether it's from recreational or commercial use, fishing gear creates a shockingly large amount of waste.
A 2022 study found that 2% of global fishing gear ends up polluting the ocean. That's nearly 14 billion — yes, billion — hooks each year, and roughly 460,000 miles' worth of fishing line, enough to circle Earth 18 times.
This not only contributes to the massive amount of plastic that pollutes our waterways but also poses threats to marine wildlife.
Earlier this year, California firefighters tried to rescue a wild heron trapped in fishing line, but it did not survive. A seal in Namibia was more fortunate, as rescuers safely removed a metal fishing hook stuck in its chin. Divers have found coral reefs that are completely wrapped in fishing line and other debris.
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Definitely 👍 A World Wildlife Fund report found that hundreds of thousands of endangered marine animals die each year because of fishing and discarded fishing gear.
What's being done to protect animals?
Longmont park rangers told CBS News they have noticed more birds getting tangled in fishing gear this year and are working on fishing safety measures.
Residents, meanwhile, are asking the city government to take more action to reduce the amount of fishing waste in local waterways.
"Make people be more careful with it," Rivas said. "But we also need to leave some places safe for the animals and the birds."
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