FWC proposes new fishing rules at Skyway Fishing Pier to protect pelicans.

TAMPA, Florida — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is proposing new fishing regulations at the Skyway Fishing Pier to better protect pelicans and other seabirds.

Every year, thousands of birds are injured or killed by entangled fishing tackle. Kim Begey of Friends of the Pelicans said they help save thousands of birds every year.

“We see hooks next to the eyes. One of the most common things we see is the line wrapped around the wing and it cuts into the front bunch of the flight,” said Kim Begay of Friends of the Pelicans.

Panel members discussed the proposed changes, including establishing educational requirements for anglers, a ban on multi-hook fishing gear from November 1 to March 31, and a year-round ban on sabica gear within part of the South Skyway Pier.

The meeting took place on Tuesday in Jacksonville.

Around 200,000 guests visit the Skyway Fishing Pier each year. The North Pier and South Pier extend two miles into Tampa Bay and are unique in their length and height. According to the FWC, there has been a dramatic increase in attendance in 2020, resulting in a further increase in seabird entanglements at the pier.

“We believe that sabica installations should be banned 12 months a year. This is very important, so many birds are drowning. Usually two pelicans get entangled with the subica and they fight. They go too far from the pier, and we may not catch them with a cast net unless we can enlist the help of a kind boatman nearby with our megaphone,” Begay said.

No decisions were made on Tuesday. The members of the commission discussed the proposed rules and decided to continue the discussion at a later meeting of the members of the commission.

The seven members of the commission can vote to finalize the rules at a meeting in July.