The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network reacted to the viral social media post of an angler hooking a bottlenose dolphin in late August at the Texas City Dike. Colton Singleton posted a now-deleted picture of himself catching the dolphin on Facebook on Monday, September 11.
With support from Jeff Davis Law Firm
Singleton told the Houston Chronicle that he was fishing with a group of people when he first noticed something hooked to his line. He said he first thought it was a shark, adding it was dark with no lights.” After reeling the hook in, that’s when Singleton realized he caught a dolphin.
“I knew we weren’t really supposed to bring (the dolphin) out of the water … it was one of those things where you just, you know, you act and you help it, you save it,” Singleton told the publication. “The only reason I brought it out (of the water) is because it was hurting itself.”
The group released the dolphin back into the water after untying the fishing line from around its fin.
After the incident, the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network released some do’s and don’ts in a Facebook post on Wednesday, September 13. The network wrote, “Although good intentioned, his actions were not the proper course to take and could have severely injured or killed the dolphin, and even caused injury to those trying to help.”
Trained marine mammal responders should be notified immediately for all stranded, injured, or entangled marine mammals, the network stressed. In Texas, immediately report to the hotline at 1-800-9MAMMAL (1-800-962-6625). Do not attempt to disentangle the animal on your own and never remove it from the water, the network added.
Dolphin interactions with recreational fishing gear are on the rise, according to the network. Below are tips the network hopes anglers remember:
Source : Mysa
