Anglers are being urged to ensure they responsibly dispose of fishing line after the “deeply upsetting” death of a heron in Tipperary Woods.
Cllr Jill Truesdale told the Mourne Observer the heron appears to have drowned after getting entangled in discarded fishing line. A spokesperson for the Ulster Angling Federation (UAF) described the incident as “extremely distressing” and damaging to the reputation of responsible anglers. They added that the UAF promotes a ‘leave no trace’ message and has steps in place to enable anglers to dispose of fishing line in a responsible way that doesn’t pose harm to wildlife.
Cllr Truesdale said parents and children had witnessed the sight of the dead heron in Tipperary Woods last week. “Tipperary Woods is an ancient slice of woodland which I have spoken about many times before,” the local councillor said. “In spring we can see from the types of plants coming through what this entire area must have been like hundreds of years ago. It is filled with bluebells, wild garlic, celandine and anemones.
“As I live close by, I have often heard herons squawking when going to and coming from the Shimna River, which flows through Tipperary Woods. It is a deeply upsetting incident, given how long a heron has been a familiar sight to people in the area.”
Cllr Truesdale explained that she has been working with local anglers and the Ulster Angling Federation on the issue of the weir in Newcastle town centre, in a bid to have repairs carried out and the retaining walls repaired. The local councillor added that she knew straight away no responsible angler would have allowed this to happen and contacted the UAF.
A spokesperson for the Ulster Angling Federation said: “This incident is extremely distressing and is reputationally damaging for responsible anglers. It harms wildlife, undermines public confidence, and detracts from the ongoing work being carried out to protect and improve our waters. We fully condemn irresponsible behaviour and reaffirm our commitment to ‘leave no trace’ principles, responsible angling, and the safeguarding of wildlife.”
In the full article the UAF go on to further explain how they deal with unused fishing line.
