Summary

A good deed by humans may be killing many pelicans Fisherman often feed brown pelicans left-over chunks of fish But UF experts say bones from fish larger than the birds could catch on their own can puncture internal organs or get stuck in their throats & literally starve them to death

Source CONUS Archive
Record ID 158826
Story Slug Pelican - Survival (04/21/1999)
Location Miami, Florida
Format Pkg/Natsot
Date 04/21/1999
Archive Time 51:39
TRT 1:24
Supers Miami, Florida Harry Kelton, Pelican Rehabilitator (:19) Linda Kubitz, Reporting (:37) Harrison Bresee, UF Marine Scientist (:50)
Video Description Pelican swimming around, pelicans feeding, cu pelicans, sot, fish bones, man holding pelican, sot, man hanging flyer, pelican swimming, cu flyer
Description A good deed by humans may be killing many pelicans Fisherman often feed brown pelicans left-over chunks of fish But UF experts say bones from fish larger than the birds could catch on their own can puncture internal organs or get stuck in their throats & literally starve them to death
Script LEAD: Fishing has always been a popular sport during the warmer months -- but if fishermen aren't careful, their recreational sport could prove deadly As Linda Kubitz reports, efforts are underway to protect innocent bystanders from being killed with kindness (Take Pkg) SCRIPT: Tossing a brown pelican fish scraps may seem like an act of kindness, but this good deed could end up in death if fisherman aren't careful Pelicans can be injured or even killed when they consume fish too large to be swallowed and digested SOT (Harry Kelton/Pelican Rehabilitator) These are bones that we took out of a pelican starving to deathIt already made little punctures (:16) The bones in a fish the size of a dolphin or a cod are too big for the pelican's stomach to digest So the University of Florida and Florida Sea Grant are warning people about this problem before any more seabirds are hurt SOT (Harrison Bresee/UF Marine Scientist) The best solution is when you clean your fishit can be thrown away or it can be disposed of properly (:16) These signs are going up at around a thousand marinas in Florida asking people to be careful what they feed pelicans Anything larger than a pin fish or mullet could be a death sentence In Miami, I'm Linda Kubitz reporting TAG: The brown pelican is federally protected in many states Fishing lin, fish hooks, and large-boned fish are the leading causes of mortality FLORIDA
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