KNYSNA NEWS - A team of dedicated locals recently set out on a coastal clean-up organised by the Knysna Wildlife Project (KWP).

The idea behind the initiative was to tackle the rubbish along the coast stretching from Lake Brenton to Featherbed, while special attention was given to spotting and cutting loose the literally kilometres of fishing line found in the area.

According to the volunteers, the amount of rubbish found was shocking, especially in localised areas where presumably fishermen and women spend the night. The rubbish is simply left behind usually next to a campfire spot and ranged from empty beer bottles to disposable nappies.

What is more concerning is the amount of fishing line, bunches of tangled-up, almost invisible “nests” of gut in seaweeds, trees, rocks and jetties. During the cleanup, their worst fears came to a realisation when a Cape cormorant was spotted near a jetty desperately trying to untangle itself from fishing line.

“We were able to bring him out to shore and carefully cut loose the gut that was cutting into its feet and wrapped around its wings. The very distraught and exhausted cormorant returned to the water to join his friends," said KWP spokesperson Anél de Bruin.

But the story takes another twist – it wasn’t more than 10 minutes later that the group heard another bird flapping desperately in the water, not 5m from where the first cormorant was saved.

Just some of the fishing line and other rubbish picked up on the day.

Another of the birds was entangled in gut, this time around its throat. Luckily members of the group managed to save the second cormorant as well but one can only wonder how many birds suffer such a terrible fate on a daily basis? Not to mention the other marine animals that are quite possibly also affected by the gut.

The day of the cleanup there were a lot of water birds identified in the area including a kingfisher family with a chick.

“Sustainable solutions need to be found to address the issue,” said De Bruin. “Surely we can find a way to work together with the fishermen to find solutions, and that is what we intend doing, so watch this space,” she added enthusiastically.

Article: Knysna Wildlife Project

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