Fishing gear downs seagull

Fishing gear downs seagull

Bird flown to Sitka, put down after it digests treble hook

A local bird rescue center is asking fishermen to be careful with their fishing gear after a seagull ingested a treble hook and died earlier this month.

On Aug. 12, a local jogger reported seeing a seagull wrapped in sport fishing line in the Salmon Creek area. That report was passed on to local bird rescue nonprofit Juneau Raptor Center, which is permitted to help birds in distress.

The bird had a bobber, a piece of fishing gear used to suspend bait at a predetermined depth, hanging from its mouth. The line wrapped around the bird’s wings prevented its flight. Later, JRC would discover a treble hook lodged in its throat.

“It could not walk or fly due to being entangled with the fish line,” said responding volunteer Pat Block.

Two people working close by took the bird from the jogger and passed it to Block and another volunteer.

“We put him in a kennel with water, over-nighted,” Block said.

The next day, JRC arranged to have the seagull flown to the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka for care by veterinarian Dr. Victoria Vosburg, an accomplished bird vet.

But it was too late for the bird. Vosburg determined that euthanasia — having the bird put down — was the most humane course of action. Surgery to remove the hook would have caused more damage to the bird than it would help.

Typically, the scar tissue formed with surgeries like these would render the bird incapable of opening its throat wide enough to feed properly, Vosburg said. That means it would likely die by starvation.

To spare the bird that agony, they put it down, Vosburg told the Empire.

“The treble hook had punctured through the esophagus and the skin,” Vosburg said.

JRC helped 127 birds in 2017. Twenty-six of those animals were bald eagles, while 94 were non-raptor species.

The best thing to do when encountering a bird in distress, is to call JRC’s pager at 790-5254 and leave a phone number. Volunteers monitor the pager at all hours and generally respond right away, Block said.

Birds sometimes look like they’re in distress when they’re not, so it’s best to watch the bird for a few moments before making the call. Block recommended approaching the bird and pushing its “comfort zone” a bit before calling the number. It will fly away when you get too close. If it doesn’t, that could indicate an injury, illness or other issue.


• Contact reporter Kevin Gullufsen at 523-2228 and kgullufsen@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @KevinGullufsen.


More in News

Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File
The Aurora Borealis glows over the Mendenhall Glacier in 2014.
Aurora Forecast

Forecasts from the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute for the week of March. 19

State Sen. Bert Stedman, center, co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee, presides over a committee hearing Thursday. The committee on Monday approved an $8.4 million fast-track supplemental budget to address staff shortages in processing food stamps, public defenders and legal advocates for vulnerable residents. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
Bill with funds to address food stamps backlog goes to governor

Legislature gives near-unanimous approval to hiring extra staff to fix months-long backlog

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Police calls for Tuesday, March 28, 2023

This report contains information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Hoonah’s Masters Bracket team poses for a group photo on Saturday after being crowned this year’s champs for the M bracket in the Gold Medal Basketball Tournament at JDHS. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
Hoonah crowned Gold Medal Masters Bracket champs

Hoonah’s Albert Hinchman named MVP.

President Joe Biden speaks during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 23, 2023, celebrating the 13th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. Recent moves by President Joe Biden to pressure TikTok over its Chinese ownership and approve oil drilling in an untapped area of Alaska are testing the loyalty of young voters, a group that’s been largely in his corner. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
Biden’s moves on Willow, TikTok test young voters

A potential TikTok ban and the Alaska drilling could weigh down reelection bid.

Students dance their way toward exiting the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé gymnasium near the end of a performance held before a Gold Medal Basketball Tournament game between Juneau and Hydaburg. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
Over $2,500 raised for Tlingit language and culture program during Gold Medal performance

A flurry of regionwide generosity generated the funds in a matter of minutes.

Legislative fiscal analysts Alexei Painter, right, and Conor Bell explain the state’s financial outlook during the next decade to the Senate Finance Committee on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Legislators eye oil and sales taxes due to fiscal woes

Bills to collect more from North Slope producers, enact new sales taxes get hearings next week.

The FBI Anchorage Field Office is seeking information about this man in relation to a Wednesday bank robbery in Anchorage, the agency announced Thursday afternoon. Anyone with information regarding the bank robbery can contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at 907-276-4441 or tips.fbi.gov. Tips can be submitted anonymously.  (FBI)
FBI seeks info in Anchorage bank robbery

The robbery took place at 1:24 p.m. on Wednesday.

Kevin Maier
Sustainable Alaska: Climate stories, climate futures

The UAS Sustainability Committee is hosting a series of public events in April…

Most Read