Discarded fishing line maims cat

FISHERMEN are again in the spotlight over discarded hooks and fishing line on Durban North and eMdloti beaches. The items are carelessly discarded on the beach and have the potential to maim, injure and kill a wide range of wildlife.

Feral Cat Rescue’s Tracey Hartley said over the years she has rescued cats that have either become entangled in discarded fishing line, been snagged by hooks or swallowed sharp hooks with bait on them. On Monday last week Hartley rescued Jones, an adult cat who now has to live with three legs. Jones had to have his left leg amputated because he struggled to free himself from fishing line that had wrapped around his leg.

“He must have been in an awful amount of pain. His leg got tangled in a mass of fishing line and the more he struggled to get it off, the tighter it got. Eventually it stopped the blood flow and his leg fell off, leaving just a stump. We were called in to help and when we found half his leg was missing, we decided to amputate the rest of the leg.

“I don’t want wildlife to get hurt; and our organisation feels very strongly about that,” said Hartley. “Bunches of line left on the shore, with or without a hook, can tie shorebirds, dogs and cats in knots, while other wildlife are injured after nibbling a bit of bait left on a hook and swallowing it. I remember rescuing a cat who had ingested a piece of bait and hook which eventually passed through his system, unfortunately it tore through his intestines,” she said.

Hartley added that fishermen are unaware of the impact they can have on wildlife. The solution, she contends, is more education, as well as the availability of secure bins for old fishing line and hooks.

“Open trash cans easily overflow and the wind blows the line away,” she explained.

Thankfully there is a silver lining to Jones story who is slowly adjusting to life on three legs. He has already been adopted by an eMdloti resident.

Hartley also rescued a ginger tomcat, Sam, who was abandoned at the bottom half of Rinaldo Road for the second time in recent months.

“He was just dumped there and left to fend for himself. He’s got a wonderful personality and all he wants is a loving home,” she said.