This pelican was found at Quarantine Bay in Eden, and ASR member John Plumb said it was suffering from an injury most likely caused by a fishing hook that had been pulled out, ripping a 5cm hole in the back of the bird’s neck. 

“Birds feel pain too, just like us,” he said. 

“But they can’t scream out.”  

A Tathra resident, Mr Plumb was visiting Eden with other ASR representatives for an information session to encourage more people to join the organisation as there are only 50 members on the South Coast and very few in the Bega Valley.

He said Eden was one of the worst sites for finding injured pelicans due to the popularity of fishing in the area.

The South Coast branch of ASR has been operating since 2005 and coordinator Kirsten Hort said 90 per cent of injured seabirds or shorebirds they assist have been injured through fishing practices. 

Due to this, ASR aims to keep a good relationship with fishermen, for instance when out in the field members make contact with fishermen to educate them on how to avoid entangling birds in fishing line. 

For instance, do not cast lines towards groups of birds when they are fishing on the water and if a bird is hooked then call ASR to tell them the exact location of the animal because hooks do not disintegrate so must be removed. 

Ms Hort was promoting the ASR’s hotline, trying to spread the word so people know to call the group when they see a seabird or shorebird in trouble. 

Once a call is made, volunteers attend the scene, capture the injured bird, work as a team to remove the fishing hook if one is there, then if there is not a major infection the bird is released straight away or taken to a vet and rehabilitated if there is a large problem. 

“All the work is voluntary,” Ms Hort said.

“You’re not doing it for yourself, you’re doing it because you know there are birds out there that need to be picked up.”

Being part of the organisation has given Mr Plumb many rewarding memories, including rescuing a fluttering shearwater, a bird that rarely comes into contact with humans, that he was able to hold in his hand. 

“[Also] when you go out and rescue a pelican and see it fly away, it is so rewarding,” Mr Plumb said.

The pelican that was rescued in Eden on Saturday was taken to be rehabilitated in Wollongong by rescue and rehabilitation coordinator Betty Spilsted. 

If you are interested in participating in an upcoming ASR workshop in March or to report an injured seabird, call the ASR hotline on 0431 282 238.