Pelican Rant

For those who think it's cute to feed the pelicans and impress the tourists, let me tell you what's been done. With no bait in the water, and only sheepie bones & skin being fed to them, they are starving. All they have left, now that they've been conditioned to being fed, is to hover around the fishermen on the octi and attack their cigs. Saw four pelicans and two gulls hooked this morning. More on Saturday. It got so bad today, that you literally could not throw a bait without starting a scrum. It was like Hitchcock's, "The Birds." We really need to start a campaign to get signs up and stop screwing with mother nature.
Can we please get over feeding them?
Sorry. End of rant

ya I was out there until about 2 this afternoon and the pelicans were dive bombing every bait a pain in the butt

YES YES YES!!!, my beloved Henryeda from the Fairhope pier starrved this winter, not sure the exact date of her death, but to all those faithful to the Fairhope pier, Henry is gone :(, she became dependent on people feeding her, and with no one to feed her over the winter, she died, now there is like 4 or 5 aggresive birds at the F pier, only one that isn't aggresive, but the rest are, so if your starting a potishien, or campaign for NOT feeding the birds, I'm completely and totaly on bord, I miss Henry :'(

http://emoticon.activeboard.com/4398...MVk5TWbFtt4%3D


That sure needed to be said!
In Florida it IS AGAINST THE LAW...

http://www.floridaanimallaw.com/2008/06/feeding-pelicans-could-lead-to-fine.html

Quote:

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Feeding Pelicans could lead to fine, jail time

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...lican_4995.jpgFeeding brown pelicans can jeopardize their lives and lead to jail time, according to an article at NWF Daily A biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission noted that the birds can become so used to free daily meals that they fail to migrate south and end up becoming sick or die from exposure. Under a new rule passed by FFWC, feeding more than one pelican is considered a second degree misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 and 60 days in jail. It is also illegal to discharge fish scraps that attract pelicans to the area. The bones of discarded and dismembered fish can become lodged in the pelicans throats.

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Note: Brown pelicans (and other seabirds) are protected by federal and state laws.
ANY form of harassment (including feeding) can be considered a violation of those laws.
Accidental entaglements while fishing (such as the recent widely published event with "Sam" at the GSPPier have been long identified as one of the most dangerous to these birds. Sooner or later any unnatural contact with humans is going to be considered illegal. How long before fishing around protected pelicans is outlawed?

What if we couldn't fish from certain areas because pelicans like to roost or feed there?

Think about that next time you consider feeding a pelican, heron or gull.

And another link...
FWC - Rodney Barreto: Please don't feed the pelicans

Quote:

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Please don't feed the pelicans

As I See It
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Media contact: Rodney Barreto

Just don't do it.
I've written about this before, but we're still seeing the effects of brown pelicans becoming dependent on throw-away fish and fish scraps, and I felt it was important to bring up the subject again.
In Jacksonville this winter, approximately 30 pelicans have died. These dead birds have been sent to a wildlife laboratory for testing, and we're still awaiting the results.
However, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologists, cold weather stress and the alteration of migration due to feeding may be to blame.
The birds had been gathering at a local seafood-processing plant, where fish scraps are readily available. Our law enforcement personnel are working with that facility to alter the way they dispose of fish and fish scraps. We are also working with a local bird sanctuary to assist in saving birds that are sick or stressed.
FWC staff and other experts worry about the overall health of brown pelican populations. Because of this concern, the Commission passed a rule in 2008 to stop the feeding of large numbers of pelicans.
The activities no longer permitted under this rule include:

• Dumping or discharging large amounts of fish scraps, bycatch or comparable materials from a fish house or similar facility. This attracts large numbers of pelicans to that area and causes changes in their behavior. By indirectly feeding pelicans, such large-scale activities can have a detrimental effect on a brown pelican population by inhibiting migration and leading to cold-weather-induced illness and injury.
• Individuals or groups feeding large numbers of pelicans at regular places and times. This does not apply to feeding pelicans that are captive or under care at places such as a rehabilitation facility.
• Anglers tossing scraps at public fishing piers and beaches. Public piers that attract large numbers of fishermen may want to consider creating scrap chutes, where folks can dump the abundant leftovers to keep them away from pelicans.

The intent of this rule is not to regulate the occasional or the casual feeding of individual pelicans. This rule provides an enforcement tool to resolve situations where large-scale feeding could negatively influence the health or survival of a pelican.
You can help keep pelican populations healthy by not feeding them.
If available, use fish-scrap repositories at piers and docks. If they are not available, discard your fish scraps in a garbage can or at home.
Your efforts will help keep pelican populations healthy and wild. Please don't feed them.

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How long before the issue of throwing carcasses and bait overboard is raised again?

I blame the "conservationists" as much as anyone. I've been told they refuse to get involved (don't know if it's true). They could place the signs and relocate the birds from here. Not for the fishermen's sake but that of the birds. But let Lou chase one off and oh, hell, no. Here they come.
Seems to me the true conservationists are a bunch of hard ass men who dog cuss the pelicans but move heaven and earth to get a tangled one up and treat them like a new born babe while freeing them

My family was there saturday and the pelicans were getting tangled in everyones line. What a pain! It is very difficult to get a tangled up pelican up on the pier to get it freed from your line. My daughter in law had a sea gull fly into her line, but a gull isn't too hard to net and pull up to be freed. My son and wife both had pelicans wrapped up and we couldn't get them on deck. One finally broke the line and I finally just cut the line on the other one. While I was ranting about the problem they cause "Mrs. PITA" (sight seeing tourist) said "Well they(the pelicans) were here first"! I just had to bite my tongue.

one sneaked up behind me saturday evening and stole a spanish. the wife hooked one that flew into her line.

Seems to me the true conservationists are a bunch of hard ass men who dog cuss the pelicans but move heaven and earth to get a tangled one up and treat them like a new born babe while freeing them[/QUOTE]

You are absolutely right-on with that observation ,deepdive !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the conservationists got the chemicals banned that was causing many bird specie to disappear, so if they had been stopped, we might not have this problem. Seriously, feeding the birds will take educating everyone that visits the coast just how harmful that activity becomes when they do it to the the wildlife that they wish to observe and enjoy. Sorta like that tough love I've heard about. I didn't hear or see any rant, DD.