Minimising interactions with seabirds

Sea birds Seabirds are good indicators of what is below the surface – many fishos know this and use the presence of birds to their advantage to help find fish when out on the water. However, it’s important to limit any interactions with seabirds whilst they are foraging for their food.

Hungry birds are attracted by the sight and smell of food, so it makes sense to avoid actively feeding birds as much as possible and to fish in ways that do not attract birds to your bait. Seabirds are fast and many of them can also dive to depths of six metres or more.

There are a number of actions you can take to minimise interactions when fishing:

Once you have prepared your berley container or cast out your line, sink it deep in the water as fast as you can. Keeping your rod tip low will help prevent birds from becoming entangled in your line.
If you are cubing your berley there are at least a couple of ways of reducing interactions – you can drop the cubes on the upwind side of the boat so that they disappear under the boat hull and have a chance to sink out of diving range. Another approach is to use a long tube thrust into the water. Cubes dropped into the tube don’t attract the attention of birds until they emerge out of the tube. By the time the birds notice them they should be deep enough to be out of diving range.
Using artificial baits/ lures can be another successful strategy as these are often less attractive to the birds.
Making a quick feint or moving your rod in the wrong direction before you drop your line in can also help limit any interactions with feeding birds.
If nothing else is working, sometimes the only thing left to do is stop fishing for a while or move to a different area.
You can also make your boat less attractive to seabirds when on the water or at the boat ramp by:
- Keeping it clean.
- Using a bait bucket or bait board with a lid and keeping scraps covered.
- Taking the bait off any unattended rods and ensuring there is no bait/food on the deck – seagulls in particular are notorious for attempting to take baits left unattended in rod holders.

Rescue advice

Tips for handling a hooked or line entangled bird:

Always assess the situation for your own safety. If in doubt, seek rescue advice from the contacts below.
Do not immediately cut the line (leaving the bird to trail long lengths of line may lead to further entanglement issues).
Try to lure the bird towards you or gently reel it in.
Put some safety or sunglasses on and keep birds well away from your face - seabirds have sharp beaks and may strike at your eyes.
If possible, ask someone to help you. Wear gloves if you have some handy. Throw a towel or jumper over the bird and gently restrain the head and bill and fold the wings in.

Phone for advice or take the bird to your nearest veterinarian or wildlife centre. If this is not possible, you can attempt to remove the hook or tangled line (if easy to do so and is not causing excessive distress to the bird).

For rescue advice or if you see injured wildlife contact:

Australian Seabird Rescue

North Coast - 02 6686 2852 or 0428 862 852

South Coast - 0431 282 238

WIRES on 1300 094 737 or your local wildlife rescue group for injured native animals

To report all injured or distressed marine mammals, including injured whales, dolphins and seals call National Parks and Wildlife on 13000 PARKS (1300 072 757), or Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORCA) on 02 9415 3333 for the animal to be checked and monitored.