Anglers urged to be careful as South Coast bird rescues spike

But as volunteers from the South Coast arm of the Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue (ASTR) have found - it is often a common occurrence.

Birds like cormorants are especially vulnerable and coupled with a food shortage in the water at the moment, juveniles will dive under water to eat bait off the hook.

However, ASTR volunteer Kirsten Vickery said for fishos, the most important action comes after the bird has been hooked.

"The biggest thing we have been preaching from day one is to never cut a line if you hook a bird," she said.

"You've already got the bird tethered. Because all these birds will still most likely be flight capable, we ask people if they feel comfortable to reel the bird in slowly depending on the species.

"Pelicans, you can grab their bill and hold them, cormorants you can stick a towel over them and then call us straight away."

Amidst the busy holiday period, Ms Vickery described the amount of reported injuries as "astronomical" but said if an animal is injured it needs to be reported.

"We get that accidents happen and we're not going to ridicule anyone who's accidentally hooked a bird," she said.

"We just want them to let us know, because the quicker we get that hook and get the line off them the better the chance of survival.

"They can die in really horrible ways depending on what's happening with the hooks and line."

ASTR operates on the North and South Coast of NSW. The volunteer organisation has been operating since 1992 after opening in Ballina and launched on the South Coast in 2005.

In the past year, the South Coast branch has rescued about 500 animals.

Ms Vickery covers the Far South Coast region, from Narooma to Eden, and said more volunteer help is always appreciated.

"It's actually only myself and another lady (covering the region) and we're still an hour from Eden," she said.

"We are always encouraging. If it's an interest in people and they want to learn a little bit more about what's involved we definitely will never so no - especially down my way because it's a big area to survey."

Ms Vickery said many of the injured wildlife are spotted by volunteers, instead of the public.

"We go out and patrol - 90 per cent of the injuries we see are with our own eyes, not because people are calling our hotline because they've accidentally hooked a bird," she said.

The South Coast branch has recently received funding help from the Greater Bank Illawarra to assist with veterinary costs associated with rehabilitating sick and injured animals.

"Whether it's through day-to-day needs or complex medical treatments, the costs can add up very quickly for animals undergoing rehabilitation," South Coast branch member Lauren Manning-Darby said.

"From entanglements in fishing line to contaminated waterways and plastic pollution, our marine wildlife face so many hazards and we want to continue to be able to provide the best possible treatment for them.

"We're thankful for the support we receive and this boost from Greater Bank will be put to very good use."

The #GreaterIllawarra Community Funding Program awards $3000 each month to local not-for-profits through a public vote, with one winner and two runners-up named. So far $237,000 has been donated to the Illawarra region through the program.