This study investigated the impact of the Skyway Fishing Piers, known as the “Longest Fishing Pier in the World,” on Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) morbidity and mortality in Tampa Bay, Florida. Although the Brown Pelican has rebounded from past population declines due to reproductive failure from pesticide pollution and has been removed from the federal endangered species list, there is the possibility that increasing mortality due to fishing line entanglement poses a risk to overall population stability. We analyzed data from 2634 Brown Pelicans admitted to two major rehabilitation clinics from January 2019 to November 2023 to establish a baseline before implementing new fishing regulations at the pier and to estimate the magnitude of mortality due to entanglement in fishing gear. The majority of affected pelicans were immature, with approximately one-third originating from the Skyway Piers. Fishing-related injuries were the most prevalent diagnosis (n = 1421), followed by trauma (n = 489), emaciation (n = 443), and toxin exposure (113). Skyway rescued Brown Pelicans were significantly more likely to have fishing-related injuries. The majority (72%) of pelicans survived and were released, but adults and those with fishing-related injuries had significantly lower survival rates. Approximately 203 pelicans/year died from fishing-related injuries in the Tampa Bay region, a level of mortality that potentially could impact population stability if entanglement is widespread. Cooler air was significantly associated with the number of birds brought to rehabilitation, particularly those who were rescued from the Skyway Piers and those whose diagnosis was fishing-related or emaciation. Our findings support implementation of seasonal fishing restrictions at the pier and solutions to reduce interactions between anglers and Brown Pelicans on all fishing piers.
Forys et al. (Thu,) studied this question.