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ishing nets that fishermen set up in the waters of the Neuse River are put there to catch the targeted fish, usually flounder. But other species of fish — and waterlife — get caught too.

This month, on at least two occasions, area residents witnessed that first hand. They have found birds — a loon, several cormorants — tangled and trapped in the gill nets fishermen have strung out in the waters near the shore. Two of the birds could be rescued. For other birds, it was too late.

Helping hands for a Common Loon that was found Monday morning entangled in a fishing net. The bird was rescued and cut free from the net that had been stretched and set in the Neuse River waters near China Grove.

Betsy Bailey wrote in about a Common Loon she found on Monday stuck in a net in the Neuse near China Grove Road. She writes:

Thought you might find this sad but interesting with a happy ending. This morning I saw this loon struggling to swim away from a net that was set in the Neuse River. I knew immediately it was caught. Thank goodness we were able to pull the net set by my neighbor in and cut it from around it’s wings. Luckily this gorgeous bird was not hurt and he was set free. People need to realize that it is not just fish being caught in nets…why are they even allowed on the Neuse? It is very sad…just use a fishing pole.

A Common Loon gets a chance to dive underwater again. It was found Monday morning tangled in a net set near a China Grove dock. (Photo: Betsy Bailey)

After seeing the photos of the rescued Loon, Gil Fontes wrote in to say he’d also “freed a bird near death from this kind of net.” Earlier this month, he was among several beachgoers near Styrontown Beach who noticed what looked at first like a stick bobbing up and down in the water a short distance out. He writes:

A number of us out at Wiggins Point found a struggling Cormorant in a net that had drifted near shore. It was badly tangled and had chaffed legs but did not suffer any serious wounds. We freed the bird, and as it paddled away from us, it seemed like it would recover. A good ending for the story for that bird, but not for the other dead Cormorants in the net.

Dead birds found trapped within a net near Styrontown Beach. One cormorant was freed but 4 or 5 were already dead when beachgoers discovered them. (Photo: Kaitlin Vonheeder)

Kaitlin Vonheeder sent in some photos from that early March afternoon. She writes:

I have photos of the Cormorant that was saved from the fishing net as well as the ones that were not so lucky to be saved. I was there with Laura Turgeon and her husband Gilbert. Eric Kindle was about to kite (kite board) when they noticed the cormorant struggling in the water. Eric bravely pulled the bird to shore and held it down as I cut the nets wrapped tightly around it’s wing and leg. It was set free from the nets and swam away. Meanwhile, Laura and Gilbert pulled the rest of the net to shore to discover four more cormorants wrapped inside the net, dead. People truly need to be aware how dangerous these nets are.

Eric Kindle was already in a wetsuit, ready to go kite boarding at Wiggins Point when the Cormorant was found tangled in the net. He freed it. (Photo: Kaitlin Vonheeder)

Gill nets, which fishermen set, leave and then return to later, are not allowed in the rivers and sounds of any other state on the East coast nor in any state on the Gulf Coast. North Carolina is the only state that still allows the estuarine use of gill nets.

Posted Thursday March 19, 2015 by Melinda Penkava