Don't Do It!

  Early yesterday evening, I sat on the pier watching the Brown Pelicans as they dove for fish.  As the weather cools, it should be about time for the White Pelicans to make their arrival in the Bay.  Soon, masses of pelicans, ducks and geese will crowd the Bay and Bayou as they search for food to carry them through the winter.  The sheer number of birds will make the pickings slim and the work hard for many of the birds.  As the water cools, most of the fish will leave the shorelines and head to deeper waters.  The smaller of the water fowl will have to search for their dinner while ones like the Brown Pelicans will be just as at home with the deep water dives.  Although they appear clumsy at times, these birds are extremely adept at their type fishing.

  Most folks who fish the area are responsible about nature.  True fishermen, whether they are the "catch and release" sort of the "wanting supper" sort, have enough respect for the water and its residents to not damage the Bay.  Nets, used fishing line and trash are not flung into the water or left on shores, this refuse is properly disposed.  Others do not care. I can speak with confidence of this. Several folks have been banned from the pier merely because they did not follow the rules.  Litter was tossed overboard, trash left on the pier and more dumped on the shore. My sister is always saying that "Only trash litters." In this, she is speaking of trashy people who have no respect for nature.  I agree with her. 

 Folks do not realize just how their litter can cause serious problems for the critters of an area.  More pelicans are killed by means of trash than any other means.  Nets and fishing lines tangle about their feet and necks making it impossible for them to feed. It is estimated that over a thousand pelicans die each year in the immediate area alone due to the entanglement of discarded fishing lines!  Plastic bags, bottles and cans resemble fish while underwater.  The bird can accidentally ingest these. A blockage forms and the bird dies.  Chemicals, oils and water pollution make the birds ill. These all cause a slow death for the birds. The sad part is that all of these things could be avoided with very little effort on our part.  We as humans make messes.  We as humans should have enough responsibility to clean them.  

  It would be so easy just to avoid all of the issues that mar our waterways.  Simply ask "Will this cause problems for any part of nature?"  If the answer is yes, then "DON'T DO IT!"  Simple as that. Just don't do it. Think about my friend, Brown Pelican, the next time you think of tossing something in the water or on the ground.  He needs you to do your part to preserve his future.