Tips to fish safely around seabirds this summer.
Heading out fishing over Christmas? Make sure to attract fish, not seabirds.
"Just as birds can see and smell fish in the ocean, they can see and smell fish in the back of your boat," says TV3 fishing host Milan Radonich in the Get Seabird Smart with Big Angry Fish video (watch below).
Other things to consider are to keep your bait stowed away and only bring out what you need. Keep any fish scraps or old bait in a covered container on board until you've finished fishing.
When you deploy bait and burley, get it down deep and fast so you feed the fish, not the birds.
If you are fishing work-ups, sink bait close to your boat, or if you are casting do it from behind the work-up so the birds are moving away from you.
If you accidentally catch a seabird, reel it in carefully, remove as much tackle as possible, following these safe release guidelines, and release it at water level if you can.
Just like an undersized fish, the way you treat a seabird will make all the difference to its survival.
"Whatever you do, don’t harm the birds. It's not just that one bird, it's the chicks and the future of our seabirds," Milan says.
