A wildlife rescue organization has appealed to the public to be wary of discarding fishing gear, after it had to put down a seagull injured in Richmond by a large fishing hook.
The Wildlife Rescue Association of BC has warned of the dangers of what it calls “ghost gear,” after the gull was found near No. 1 and Francis roads with a five-centimetre hook in its body.
Unfortunately, the gull did not survive the incident, according to the association, adding that it’s all too common for such equipment to get left behind by people not fully aware of the risk.
“We regularly intake wildlife that have been injured by hooks or caught up in line and nets,” said Jackie McQuillan, Wildlife Rescue’s support centre Lead.
“It’s more rare that we can recover the hook that caused the damage.”
As a non-profit organization, Wildlife Rescue relies on the generosity of donations to continue caring for injured, orphaned, and pollution-damaged wildlife.
For more information, or to donate, go to Wildliferescue.ca/give.
If members of the public see wildlife in distress, contact the Wildlife Help Centre at 604-526-7275.
