Abandoned fishing gear kills birds in Lapland

Abandoned or improperly stored fishing equipment is killing birds in Finnish Lapland, according to local birdwatcher Ismo Kreivi.

In Kemi on Wednesday, a young magpie had to be euthanised after its beak became severely entangled in a jig lure and fishing line. The bird was found hanging from a tree in the Takajärvi residential area, said Jani Maikkula, a fire officer with the Lapland Rescue Services.

“It had grabbed the hook, line, and lure in its beak and flown into a tree. It was exhausted,” Maikkula said.

Kreivi, a bird enthusiast from Rovaniemi, has encountered multiple cases of birds fatally injured by discarded fishing gear. While not common, such incidents occur regularly every year.

“Every case is one too many, and often the outcome for the birds is fatal—either a slow or quick death,” he said.

Two years ago, Kreivi rescued a northern goshawk that had hooks from fishing lures embedded in its wing and leg, likely from gear left unattended in a cottage yard. A veterinarian removed the hooks, and Kreivi believes the bird suffered no lasting damage.

A wagtail was less fortunate after swallowing a hook hidden inside bait at a dock. The hook was lodged too deep in its throat for any intervention.

Kreivi warned that birds can become entangled in fishing line, which may wrap around their legs, causing necrosis, or around their wings, impairing flight. They can also get trapped in nets or open fishing baskets, eventually dying of starvation and dehydration.

“Under no circumstances should fishing gear be left in nature,” he emphasised.