A grisly discovery on the shoreline of Elk Lake has served as a timely reminder for visitors to be more mindful with their garbage.
When Tani West and her daughter Amy Sennett took their dogs for a quick walk on a stretch of shoreline at Elk Lake near Hamsterly Road, they were upset to find a dead cormorant washed ashore.
“Then we flipped it over and noticed that it had a fishing hook in its mouth and fishing line wrapped around its leg,” said West.
The pair also discovered “long strands” of fishing line discarded on the beach and a nearby pathway.
“I noticed that my dog was pulling something wrapped around his leg,” said West. “And then it got tangled around my legs.”
To help raise awareness about how irresponsible fishing line disposal can impact wildlife, West shared a photo of the deceased bird online.
“Fishermen might think it's nothing to cut a snagged line,” said West. "But this bird probably struggled for a long time."
West believes the problem is not just local to Elk/Beaver Lake, and is widespread, a belief supported by comments made in response to her online post.
"It's killing wildlife out there for sure," she said,
For Victoria resident Lisa Scott, West's story brought back memories of her own experience at the Capital Regional District (CRD) park.
Several years ago at the neighbouring Beaver Lake, in a moment she describes as “divine intervention”, Scott came to the rescue of a belted kingfisher.
A keen photographer, Scott had visited the lake to capture images of the morning fog, instead she found a kingfisher hanging by its neck from a tree.
“I looked out over the water, and there he was hanging in like a noose,” she said.
The bird was tangled in fishing line left in a tree.
“I waded out and probably got to him just in the nick of time, he didn't even bite me as he was so exhausted,” said Scott.
West drove the bird home and with the help of a neighbour, carefully tried to remove the fishing line.
“It was all in his wings and around his neck, and very tight from him struggling,” Scott said.
Once free, Scott returned to Beaver Lake and released the grateful kingfisher, which flew off unharmed.
She also made sure to remove the remainder of the fishing line in the tree, but the photographer says it was "very disheartening" to see how much had been discarded.
“There was lots and lots of fishing line,” said West. “I think somebody cast out into the bushes and got tangled up. I guess they just cut the line and left it there in the tree.”
In response to West's social media post on Nov. 27, some residents with fishing experience have cautioned laying blame for the comorant's death squarely on the shoulders of fishermen.
One person who said they regularly fish at Elk Lake, explained the aquatic bird will often dive and try to snatch fish on the hook, resulting occasionally in accidental entanglements.
But West has no sympathy.
"I'm not sorry if it upsets them," she says. "There has to be some way around this that can make it better."
“People need to know the end result – what could happen,” adds West’s daughter Sennett.
“When you hear about plastic pollution and its impact on birds and whales, you usually think of plastic rings around soda cans or plastic bottles. But nine times out of 10, the plastic actually is from the fishing industry.”
A spokesperson for the CRD said they encourage all park users to be “good park stewards and leave no trace” behind.
“The CRD bylaw enables officers to educate park users on potential harmful behaviour to people, pets and wildlife and to issue fines starting at $50 for a first offence,” said a spokesperson in an emailed statement.
“We also want to remind people that a valid basic fish licence is required to fish the lakes in CRD parks."
