[GiveAHoot-ArlingtonforOwls] dead heron in arlington from discarded fishing gear

[Diana F.]

Sad news...

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Laura Kiesel <laki...@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Apr 8, 2025, 4:23 PM
Subject: [GiveAHoot-ArlingtonforOwls] dead heron in arlington from discarded fishing gear
To: ArlingtonProgressive <arlingtonp...@googlegroups.com>, <Give...@googlegroups.com>, Sustainable Arlington <sustainabl...@googlegroups.com>

Today a beautiful Great Blue Heron got hooked by a dangling fish hook into its wing and was entangled in line at the pond at Menotomy Rocks Park. He drowned to death as a result.

This GHB will be examined by a vet to see if anything else contributed to his death but fishing gear was definitely the primary culprit. The fishing line waste issue has become a huge problem at our local ponds. As some may recall, I rescued a Black Crowned Night Heron last fall hooked and entangled at Spy Pond and that same month a GBH was pictured swallowing a fish still fully attached to hook, line, and bobber at MRP. The incidents received coverage in YourArlington.  I had ramped up efforts to appeal to the town to do more about this and even consider restrictions on recreational fishing. Repeated emails to Parks & Recs requesting a meeting with Save Arlington Wildlife went unanswered.

These birds are already facing so many challenges from avian flu, rodenticide poisoning, habitat encroachment, and drought (due to global warming). Discarded fishing line is another obstacle compounding their struggle to survive.

I'd like to ramp up a campaign on this but I'd need a lot more help to that end.

Many thanks to my super volunteer Denise Jaillet and retired rehabber Ellen Reed for retrieving the heron and Reed for giving it a quick assessment.

Photo of GBH in the water courtesy of Beth Melofchik (who alerted Save Arlington Wildlife to the mortality) and photo of bird on land courtesy of Denise Jaillet.

Virus-free.www.avg.com

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