A Deadly Consequence of Thoughtless Fishing

A cafe in Melbourne's inner west became the war room for ecological groups on a mild Saturday morning to discuss the devastating destruction of a local swan family. Just two of the seven swans remain after three were euthanized in late April and May due to entanglement with fishing hooks or fishing line.

Darrell Pitt, a spokesman for Maribyrnong River Wildlife Protection, said it was devastating, and the completely pointless nature of it really struck the group. "There's a relatively small number of people who actually fish along the Maribyrnong, but to have the actions of so few people cause so much damage – it's really heartbreaking." The swans' loss is heartbreaking, but it's also the pointless and unnecessary nature of it that's particularly distressing.

A group of "friends of" groups and other community members is now planning to lobby the council, state government, and authorities to prevent more fishing-related wildlife deaths in the river. Maribyrnong Mayor Mohamed Semra said the Maribyrnong River was an important part of the community, and keeping wildlife and plants healthy was a priority for the council.

The group is demanding improved education about responsible fishing practices along the river, including more signage translated into various languages to help fishers understand what's expected of them. They will also argue that more needs to be done about the river's cleanliness, as rubbish piles up. This will be a major focus of their lobbying efforts, with the group pointing to the lack of specific written guidance in the Victorian government's Little Angler Kits, which are set to be rolled out to almost 1900 schools later this year.

The Victorian Fisheries Authority publishes a free recreational fishing guide annually, advising fishers about how to safely remove hooks and dispose of unwanted fishing line. This guide is translated into several languages and distributed to over 100,000 copies to tackle shops, bait stores, and tourist information centres every year.

However, a recent survey found that many recreational fishers still abandon tackle or fishing line, which poses a significant risk to wildlife. While most recreational fishers do dispose of their waste in bins or use the 'Seal the Loop' program with Melbourne Zoo, a significant number are not following best practices. “Recreational fishers are stewards of our waterways and care deeply for our fisheries and natural environment,” a spokeswoman for the authority said.

Despite this, the group argues that more needs to be done to educate recreational fishers about responsible practices. “We need to talk about the swans,” said Pitt, emphasizing that the community wants to see changes made to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. “It's not just about the swans, it's about taking care of our river and keeping it clean and safe for everyone.”

### Key Facts

  • Only two swans remain from the original seven swans in the Maribyrnong River in Melbourne's inner west.
  • Three swans were euthanized in late April and May due to entanglement with fishing hooks or fishing line.
  • The Victorian Fisheries Authority distributes over 100,000 copies of a free recreational fishing guide every year, advising fishers on how to safely remove hooks and dispose of unwanted fishing line.
  • The group is demanding improved education about responsible fishing practices and more signage translated into various languages to educate fishers about what they can do to help prevent wildlife deaths.
  • The Victorian government's second rollout of Little Angler Kits to almost 1900 schools later this year will be a focal point, as these kits lack essential guidance on how to properly dispose of fishing gear, or avoid hurting wildlife. The lack of this guidance is seen as a major issue by the group.