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Fishing Litter

Mute swan with fishing litter injury

Fishing litter (hooks, weights, line) causes injury and death to thousands of wild animals every year. Lost and discarded fishing tackle can cause needless suffering to wildlife:

  • Hooks can become embedded in - or even pierce - the skin;
  • Hooks, line and weights can be swallowed, causing internal blockages, injury and poisoning;
  • Line can wrap around an animal, cutting off the blood supply;
  • Wildlife entangled in line may suffer a slow death due to starvation if not freed.  

Swans and fishing litter

Cygnet with fishing litter injury

The number of swans admitted to our wildlife centres with injuries as a result of angling equipment more than tripled during the summer months of last year.
 

A report for the Environment Agency in 2002 estimated that the RSPCA and other groups attend over 8,000 sick and injured swans in Britain each year. Fishing litter injuries are the biggest single cause of swan rescues – thought to be around 3,000 a year.

Over 60 percent of wild birds admitted to our wildlife centres between 2005 and 2011 were swans admitted as a result of entanglement and injuries caused by fishing litter.

 

Tackling the issue

Tawny owls caught in fishing line
Tawny owl caught
in fishing line.

The majority of anglers do care. Angling organisations and the Environment Agency have produced codes of practice to encourage responsible behaviour.


We’ve joined forces with the Angling Trust, the Environment Agency and the National Swan Convention (NSC), which represents swan rescue groups, in an attempt to tackle the problem. 

 

What can you do?

  • Take unwanted fishing line home and cut it into small pieces before putting it in the bin.
  • Be aware of surrounding trees – discarded line caught up in foliage can entangle wildlife.
  • Don’t leave baited tackle unattended – always remove the bait from the hook and put the tackle in a safe place.
  • Use a bait box so that there is no chance of leaving an empty bait tin behind by mistake.
  • Keep your local stretch of river, canal or coastline litter-free. Dispose safely of any rubbish you see, even if it is not your own! 
  • Download and put up our Fishing Litter poster (PDF 168KB) to raise awareness of the issue. 
Fishing hook removed from mute swan
Fishing hook removed from mute swan.

For more information:

A review of mute swan admissions at RSPCA Stapeley Grange wildlife centre:

Kelly, A. and Kelly, S. (2004) Fishing tackle injury and blood lead levels in Mute swans. Waterbirds 27(1):60-68.  


If you see an injured wild animal, please report it to the RSPCA’s 24-hour cruelty and advice line on 0300 1234 999.

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