Goh Juan Hui took these photographs at Turnhouse Road Park on 4th March 2013 (above). This area around Changi is where the Oriental Pied Hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris) nest regularly LINK. An adult must have brought a fish or some other bait still attached to the hook at the end of the discarded fishing line and fed it to the chick in the nest. The hook apparently got caught in the lower mandible of the chick. It was not known what happened to the chick.
The indiscriminate disposal of used fishing lines (with or without the hooks attached) by irresponsibly fishing enthusiasts have caused a number of birds to be strangled.
In June 2009 an adult Oriental Pied Hornbill was found strangled by a discarded fishing line in a mangrove area LINK.
Other than this, we had other species of birds becoming victims of this irresponsible practice: Buffy Fish-owl LINK, Little Heron LINK, a heron LINK, Javan Myna LINK and Barn Owl-Little Heron LINK.
There was even an occasion when a White-bellied Sea-eagle swallowed a short line possibly with the hook still attached LINK.
There were appeals to fishing enthusiasts not to leave their unwanted lines indiscriminately but apparently such practice is still going on.
Goh Juan Hui
Singapore
April 2014
6 responses
3rd world mentality at work again. Unless a fine is imposed, most people here just do/will not care. Do you think it’s possible for authorities to send out rangers checking the fishing practices of people here? Also, I must add that I have seen many non-locals fishing from canals and afterwards leaving their nets/hooks behind. They may not be aware that this is bad, or maybe, this not being their home country, they can’t be bothered.
Please think before you commet. Not all lines and hooks are disposed in an inappropriate way. Sometime the lines will tangle and snap by the structure. We are unable to retrieve back. All these are not what we want to happen. I saw cases where even though the hook n line are disposed into bins but are being dug out by birds while searching for food. I believe no one wan this to happen. This is just my thought.
Thanks
Disposing lines with hooks in bins may not be an appropriate way. As you mentioned, birds and other animals may dig it out and get entangled. Why not bring it home and dispose it properly, like placing it in a small metal/plastic container first?
Quite obviously, I’m talking about cases where lines and hooks and other fishing paraphernalia are disposed of DELIBERATELY in a careless manner, and not talking about accidents where they snap off and such.
Also, where in my comment did I say that “ALL lines and hooks are disposed in an inappropriate way”?