Fishermen Are Hurting Park Slope's Swans

waterfowl in the Prospect Park Lake from galvarez51's flickr

Prospect Park swans have already fought against each other — now they're fighting against fishermen.

At least two of the swans that live in the park's 60-acre lake have been injured by fishermen, according to The Brooklyn Paper. One lived for months with a hook through its beak (the hook has since been extracted), and another apparently swallowed a hook and line that is now protruding from its chest. Then there's "Beaky," the disfigured goose that lost half of its beak, perhaps after getting tangled in fishing lines in the lake.

Anne-Katrin Titze and Ed Bahlman — the swans' de facto spokespeople — say careless fisherman are to blame. "If it’s so upsetting for us, how do these animals feel?" said Bahlman, who is urging officials to educate and punish rule-breaking fishermen. But a representative from the Prospect Park Alliance told the paper that added enforcement isn't likely. "The lake has more garbage than we like," he said. "There just aren't enough [enforcement officers] on the entire 60-acre watercourse to make sure people are doing what they should."

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By Ben Muessig in News on December 15, 2009 11:32 AM

Comments [rss]

sexisicilian

Why don't they fish somewhere else like Alaska, let the beautiful swans be!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tsol

Putting up "No Fishing" signs in Spanish would be a big step in the right direction!

David

I was dragged to a city park to fish when I was a kid once. On top of hating fishing I was completely mortified to walk through the park with pole and tackle box. And yes, I did end up with a hook in my eyelid that fateful day after slipping down the boat ramp into the cold april lake.

hotstepper

see, i'm NOT crazy...the hook in the eyelid really happens!!

shut up you, no it doesn't.

huh? who are you guys?

leave us alone!

David

They should be in chinese also. I see alot of chinese people fishing.

Exranger

Plus, oh yes, they poach the fish, especially in the poor south end of the park, which wrecks the very tenuous ecosystem we've got going in that lake. Fewer fish affects the fishing bird population, and throws off the algae balance, and the duckweed.. It becomes a mess. There are almost no signs advising of the fishing rules, and the bins to dispose of tangled line blend into the poles... purposefully. To keep everything looking like nature. Failure all around.

hotstepper

the parks dept is much too busy busting artists on the highline to take care of something as minor as an ecosystem my friend.

Exranger

Some idiot at the Macy's Fishing Day event snagged one of the baby swans, and when the flustered father swan went to defend the flailing baby, it broke the baby's neck with its wings. In front of hundreds of children. Fishermen suck.

suziegoombs

I should clarify my "why do we allow fishing in a city park" statement - its not just for the safety of the waterfowl. I've seen fishermen whipping their lines back toward the walking paths far too many times. Those lines are LONG too, I keep waiting for a hook to grab a child's arm.

hotstepper

maybe (probably) i'm crazy but i've always had a fear of a hook in the eye!

suziegoombs

I live near the park (though not park slope) and can attest that when I take walks near the water I am constantly picking up tangles of fishline line. Its ridiculous. How hard is it to clean up what you brought in? And why do we even allow fishing in the park in the first place... this is a city. If you really want to fish, go upstate.

felixthecat2

Fisherman in park slope? WTH? They are the nastiest.

hotstepper

i don't really care much about birds, there are plenty of them around but i despise fisherman. they are the nastiest, most polluting shitheels around any waterfront. pick up your trash assburgers!