BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) - Gulf coast bird rescuers are warning about a type of fishing gear they say is killing and maiming seabirds, particularly at a fishing pier at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
Fishing gear called a Sabiki rig is causing injury and death to sea birds, such as pelicans, cormorants, herons, terns and egrets.
The Bradenton Herald (https://bit.ly/1cGj53L) reports that the rig is meant to catch bait fish, but it has multiple hooks and such a lightweight line that if a bird swoops down to eat bait fish and flies away, the line breaks and the hooks become caught in its flesh.
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Bird rescuers recommend that if someone accidentally hooks a bird, they try to reel the animal in, safely remove any hooks or line and release the animal.
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