I Understand that Fishing is an Activity Enjoyed by Many.

I am not Going to Bash or Complain about the Sport of Fishing..
It seems to be a Popular Way to Spend Time Outside.

To Enlarge Right Click Image – Open in a New Tab.

FISHING: If you Allow Anyone to Fish in Your Pond..
Ask them to be EXTREMELY Careful with Fishing Line, Sinkers and Hooks..

It is Safest for your Captive Pet Swans if NO Fishing is Allowed..

I am Always Happy to See Ponds Designated “NO FISHING.”

The BRIGHT Red Bobber… Someone was Fishing.. on a NO Fishing Pond.

The Pond or Lake Your Swans Live on.. is their Home.

What is Difficult to Accept is the Careless Disregard for the Environment by Some
– Not All – People who Fish..

Fishermen Say they Love the OutDoors.. > > > Why do they Trash It. ? ?

Mute Swans get Blamed for All Kind of Negative Impacts on
the WaterWays they Live on.. But, this is Not Swan Waste..

THIS is People TRASH ! !

I Want to Share with Folks interested in Having Swans what Can Happen
if Fishing Hooks, Lines and Sinkers are Left in the Water where your
Captive Pet Swans and other Water Birds Live.

Your Domestic Ducks and Geese will Also Suffer Injuries that Mangle them.

This Female Mallard became Entangled in a SIX-Pronged Barbed Hook.
She was First Hooked in the Webbing of her Foot.
Trying to Free Herself with her Beak, her Tongue became Impaled.
She was Lucky, Found, Helped and Released.

Discarded Fishing Line Around the Leg of this Goose was Cutting in so Deeply,
Saving the Leg was Questionable.

One Hook can Destroy the Future of an Entire Family.

WHAT YOU CAN NOT SEE ! !
An X-RAY of a Duck that Swallowed a Fishing Hook.
This would Required Risky Surgery to Remove. Outcome Unknown.

If an Unfortunate Swan/Cygnet Swallows a Fishing Hook OR any Bird or Waterfowl…
The SOONER it is Removed the Better the Chance that no Long Term Harm
or Death will occur.

One of these Young Cygnets Swallows a Length of Fishing Line..
The Owners CUT the Line at his Beak and Released him.
NO Plan to Find Out if there was a Hook or to Help him..
“He is a Wild Creature. God will take Care of him..”

My Heart SANK, when I learned they turned the Cygnet out to their Pond.

DO NOT CUT FISHING LINE SHORT – there MIGHT be a HOOK…
This will Aid finding the Hook.. Leave several Inches Visible.

VERY GENTLY – Touch the Neck all around to feel for
any Lump that might be the location of a Hook.

The Bird or Animal will BEST be helped by a Veterinarian.

We Arranged with the County Cruelty Officer for this Cygnet to be Removed from the Farm.
He was Taken to a Veterinarian for Help.
His Weight was 40 % below what he should have Weighed.

There is NO WAY: WITHOUT an X-RAY
No way to know how Large the Hook is..
No way to know how the Hook is Oriented..
No way to know how Far Down the Hook has Gone..
NO WAY to know how many Barbs the Hook has..

Fishing Hooks will Dissolve/Rust over time..
Depending on the Size, this can take Weeks to Months..
Dissolving Metals will S-L-O-W-L-Y be Absorbed.. Heavy Metal Poisoning.

This Tiny Cygnet was Barely OUT of the Nest and it is HOOKED !

In the MEANTIME:
As the Swan/Cygnet moves about the Hook Barbs may change its
Position and Location. Swans Twist their Necks to Drink, Eat and
Preen.. It will likely cause PAIN as it Stabs into Tender Tissues.

Throat Tissues may become Swollen, Sore and Ulcerate.
High incidents of Infection.. Bacteria – Fungus.. Necrosis.

A Swallowed Fishing Hook may cause Chronic to Severe Bleeding..
Especially, if it Punctures a Carotid Artery or Jugular Vein.
Massive Bleeding, Loss of Blood to their Brain.
Obstructive Blood Clots. Many Fatal Potentials.

Plant Material, which Swans Try to Eat, may be Caught and Choke
the Cygnet/Swan. Prevent Eating – High Risk of Starving.

Hook Barbs may migrate to the Trachea – cause Airway Obstruction,
Bleeding into their Lungs. Painful Fatal Outcome.

Hook Barbs may migrate to their Neck Vertebrae.
Damage Nerves-Impair Function. Imagine the PAIN.

By the time the Swan/Cygnet is in Distress from a FISHING HOOK,
it will be more difficult to Save them. The Longer the FISHING HOOK
is in the Throat the more Treatment will likely be needed. Poor Prognosis.

This Young Cygnet was Lucky. He was Rescued and taken for Help.
He did not have a Fishing Hook in his Esophagus..
BUT, he did have a Wad of Balled-up Fishing Line in his Gizzard.
The Line was Abrading the Lining of his Gizzard, causing Bleeding.
The Fishing Line was Removed, Treated with Antibiotics,
Time to Recover and Gain Weight.. Adopted to New Home.

A FISHING Hook is Literally a TIME BOMB waiting to Kill any Bird
or Animal that Swallows one.

Use GREAT CARE when Capturing a Swan/Cygnet that may have ingested a Fishing Hook.
Do your BEST not to handle the Neck. Keep Stress as LOW as Possible.

If you SEE Fishing Line Hanging from a Swan’s Mouth…
DO NOT CUT the Line. – Leave several Inches Visible.
Find a Way to KEEP it from being SWALLOWED Further.
Your VET will have a BETTER Chance of Removing the HOOK.

The Young Swan Cygnet Below was Rescued – Not Saved.. Died.

Carelessly Discarded Fishing Line, Hooks and Lead Sinkers
have been Responsible for “Way Too Many” Waterfowl Deaths..

Painful Tissue Injuries might be Treated after Days of Bleeding
when Infections have started..

What you are Seeing is a Result of FISHING..
and NOT being Responsible for Fishing Line.. and HOOKs !

The Pain and Stress the Swans Endure May Contribute to a Poor Outcome..

At a Pond that was to be Designated “No Fishing” – Public Fishing Continued.

The Young Swans on this Pond were Hooked and Injured Several Times.

We Arrange for a Rescue to Occur on a Wednesday..
A Veterinarian Appointment was Made for that Evening.

The Owner Arranged for Someone to Shoot the Juvenile Swan on Tuesday.
They were Tired of all the Expensive Veterinary Bills..

The Young Swan was a Victim Twice.. through NO Fault of his. So Sad.

They did Allow the Rescuers to Collect his Brother. We found a New Home.

The Line was Caught on Rocks.. Luckily the Swan Pulled Free..
We Could Not get Hold of her.. The Hook Eventually Rusted Off.

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The Saga of a Rescued Swan.. Who Knows how Long she was Hooked.

This Swan’s Leg was Not Ok.. She Struggled to Walk.. Victim of a Hook.

SINKERs:
Lead Poisoning is a BIG Problem for Wild and Domestic Waterfowl.

Swallowed Lead will Slowly Cause Toxic Heavy Metal Poisoning.
Difficult and Time Consuming to Treat.

Over the Years, we have Talked with Pond Families and Helped Rescue
Way TOO Many Swans and Cygnets Entangled-Snagged
by Fishing Hooks, Lines.. So Far No Sinkers or Shot Gun Lead.

Distressed Swan Rescued after having Tongue Impaled by Discarded Fishing Hook.

Some Hooks will Come OUT Easily..
Some Hooks Embed Deeply.. Cause Bleeding and Pain.

These are the Painful Punctures Suffered by a Swan in the U.K.
after Swallowing Fishing Line attached to TWO Hooks.

Fishing Line Tangles Wings, Legs, Necks..
Tissue Damage and Permanent Injuries are Common.

One of their Four Month Old Cygnets was Tangled, Struggling Likely Broke her Wing.
She Died during the Night, before she could get to the Vet’s Office.

There are many Sad Stories I could share..
“PiP” is Another One. -He was between 4 – 5 Months when Rescued.
A Caring Team of People spent Months Helping him Recover. Thanks to All.

He was Lucky to Survive his Encounter with Fishing Line.

Any Waterfowl, Birds… and other Animals can become Tangled in Fishing Line
left in their Living Environment.. Fishing Line is Strong and does not breakdown..

He was Found with his Foot Tangled with Fishing Line.
His Struggling to Free himself caused Mutilation of his Left Foot’s Webbed Tissues.

When Rescued, the Damaged Tissues were Surgically Removed.
All the Network of Blood Vessels between his Toe Digits were Damaged.

It was Over a Year before he was Ready for Adoption to a New Home.

The Primary use of Webbed Feet is for Paddling through Water.

Webbed Feet have more Surface Area to Push Water Backwards
and thus Propelling the Waterfowl Forward.

The Large Network of Blood Vessels in the Webbing is Important
to Aid Waterfowl Regulate their Body Temperature.

This Nasty Damage will Affect his Life.. He will Need to Adapt.
His Foot will Sink into Soft Muddy, be more Easily Cut.

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Entangled Waterfowl Can NOT Fly, Swim, Forage for Food
or Protect Themselves from Predators.
Tightening Constriction around the Body can cause Suffocation.

If Fishing Line gets Wrapped and Tight enough it can AMPUTATE Legs, Wings,etc.
The Poor Helpless Tangled Animals can easily Starve if it does not get help..
While causing Gangrene as a Body Part Slowly Dies.

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Another Young Swan’s Life has been Changed.. Forever.

Once Tangled in Fishing Line, the Line Tightens to the Point it Cuts
through the Skin and into the Bone.

Infections incur, Circulation is Cut Off Resulting in Amputation.

A Little Local was Given to Finish the Amputation..

This is Where the Leg was Damaged – No Hope to Repair.

She will Not be Able to Walk..
Swans are Too Large to Hop on One Leg.

It is Hard to think about this Live Bird Suffering Endless Hours
for over 2 – 3 Weeks – Alone in Pain and Scared. – I do not have Words..

A Series of Dedicated People Tended Tirelessly to Help this Young Swan Recover.

An Experienced Rehab Angel in Florida.. Welcomed this Young Female.
Close to Round the Clock Care.. Weeks of Therapy.

In the End, the Swan kept Trying to Stand to Preen.. Then Plop-down on her Abdomen.
The Abdomen Skin was Bruised Over and Over.. Damaged beyond Healing.
If this Swan would have Stayed in the Water, she might have had a Chance.
Her Loss was Heart Wrenching for Everyone who Tried so Hard to Save her.

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Countless Birds Suffer an Agonizing Death.

Birds/Swans often Pick-up Fishing Line to put in their Nest.
This may have a Fatal Outcome for the Cygnets.

The Trumpeter Swan Parents Could Do Nothing to Help their Cygnet.

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Do a Simple Internet Search for ** Images Swan Fishing **
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WaterFowl Do NOT have TEETH..

They Ingest their Food in Bites that can be Swallowed.
Swans are Vegetarians and Eat a Diet with Lots of Tough Fiber.

These Foods Need to be Ground into Smaller Bits that will
Pass into their Digestive System.

Most Waterfowl Swallow Small Bits of Gravel that Act as “Teeth” in their Gizzard,
Breaking Down the Tough Plant Fibers thus Helping Digestion.

Ingested Fishing Line can cause Intestinal Blockage and Bleeding.
Balled-up Wads of Line will Churn in the Gizzard Muscle..
Pain and Bleeding..Slow Starvation..

Not Being a Person who Goes Fishing..
I am Using Wikipedia for the Following Information..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishing_sinker

A Fishing Sinker or Knoch is a Weight used in Conjunction with a
Fishing Lure or Hook to increase its Rate of Sink, Anchoring Ability,
and/or Casting Distance.

A Lead Fishing Sinker is a Weight used to Sink a Lure or Bait to the Bottom of the Waterway.

Sinkers are Formed into many Shapes for Diverse Fishing Applications.
Depending on the Metals.. Swallowed Sinkers will Poison Waterfowl.

Most Fishing Sinkers are made of Solid Lead.
Lead are Inexpensive to Produce and Mold into a Large Variety of Shapes for Specific Fishing Applications.

Fishing Sinkers may be as Small as 1 Gram for Applications in Shallow Water, and even Smaller for Fly Fishing Applications, or as Large as Several Pounds or Considerably more for Deep Sea Fishing.

There are many Environmental Concerns Surrounding the use of Lead
and other Materials in Fishing Sinkers.
Lead in Fishing Sinkers causes Lead Poisoning in WildLife.

Anglers should be Careful when using Lead Sinkers and if at all
Possible Never Leave Lead Sinkers in the Environment they are Enjoying.

Any Lead Fishing Items Swallowed by Waterfowl will
Slowly Poison the Birds.. There are MANY Articles onLine..

Treating and Saving a Swan Suffering from Lead Poisoning
is a Long Process.. if Successful.

When I see Fishing on a Pond or Lake where Swans are Living..
I feel myself Tense – Cringe .. Immediate Worry.. Too Many Sad Stories.

A Clean, Litter Free Environment Benefits All.

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WildLife would be Happy to See these Signs..

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Thoughts, Information and Memories Collected – June 2020
A Unfortunate Work in Progress. (C) Linda M.Sweger
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We can Share the Great OutDoors.

Fishing, Boating, Enjoying Wildlife Safely.

Did you know you can Recycle your Used Fishing Line?

The Fishing Line Recycling Unit above was Installed by an Eagle Scout
as a Community Service Project for a Large Lake Community.
GREAT IDEA.

We hope more Fishing Folks will Use this Type of Recycling.

Do a Search for: Fishing Line Recycling Program

Fishing Line will be Sent Back to be Recycled into Fish Habitats.

There are Products to Help Fisher Folks Recover Line.. and Hooks.

I Learned that there are Effort to Provide Ways to ReClaim and Dispose of
Hooks, Lines and Fishing Stuff… Please Help Reduce the Suffering.

It is Just a Matter of Time.