Officials voice frustrations after common trend devastates local wildlife: 'I'm very disappointed'

Three Ontario cygnets have died after being entangled in fishing line, as reported by CBC News Canada.

Louisa Lamberink-van Wijk, vice president of the Halton Hills Turtle Guardians, wants to encourage anglers to take responsibility for their gear and ask for help if they accidentally hook or get an animal in their fishing line.

"If you hook an animal, call the wildlife centre, call somebody that can help, set aside the fact that you're embarrassed, and just fess up," she said.

What's happening?

Young swans and other birds and animals are becoming entangled in fishing lines in Ontario waterways.

Lamberink-van Wijk was called upon to help three cygnets who were tangled up in a fishing line. When she got to the scene, two of the birds had already died. Despite rescue efforts, the third cygnet passed away from exhaustion a few hours later.

Laurel Ironside, a licensed bird bander at the Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario, is concerned that their group continues to see trumpeter swans caught in discarded fishing lines weekly.

The conservation groups have committed to ongoing education for the public, but the problem still exists. "It's frustrating because we've educated the public for years already," Lamberink-van Wijk said.

It is important that the anglers in the area dispose of their fishing line properly and notify the wildlife centre if they accidentally hook an animal other than a fish.

Why is responsible fishing line disposal important?

Trumpeter swans once vanished from Ontario, and dedicated conservation efforts allowed them to make a comeback. They are no longer considered an "at risk" species, but if they continue to be threatened by improper use and disposal of fishing line, their population numbers could be at risk.

The problem is completely preventable.

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Paul Kroisenbrunner, the current treasurer and former president of Kitchener Waterloo Cambridge Bassmasters, said, per CBC News Canada, "I'm very disappointed that some anglers would not be responsible enough to take their waste and dispose of it properly."

He emphasized that the Ontario area prides itself on being conservation-minded and that the improper actions by the fishermen in the area are not in alignment with those values. 

What's being done about protecting the swans?

Conservation groups in the Ontario area will continue to educate the public and will encourage anglers to help animals by notifying the wildlife centre if an entanglement occurs. Education is the primary tool for preventing future incidents, and if the public were more diligent about collecting all of their fishing gear before departing the area, it would save a lot of animals.

Kroisenbrunner expressed that "wildlife in general, all species of animals have a right to a clean and healthy environment."

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