Harry Kelton, president of the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station in Biscayne Bay, has seen the harm humans can do to pelicans firsthand. He says 300 injured birds come in to the rescue station each year, and about 250 can be rehabilitated and returned to the wild.
It has only been in the past 10 years that the brown pelican has been upgraded to the protected species list from the endangered species list. During the 1970s the brown pelican was in danger of extinction because of many years of poor reproduction rates resulting from exposure to DDT, a now-banned pesticide.
Today, the coastal birds are common from Virginia south to Florida and from San Francisco south to Mexico, but during the summer can be found in more northerly seaports.
Kelton says humans are the pelicans' main threat.
"We're at the root of the problem," said Kelton, whose seabird station is also supporting the educational campaign. "There aren't any wild places left in Florida; we're surrounded by condominiums and sea walls, and pelican habitat is the prime habitat for building condominiums. So it's important not to do any more damage."
Bresee says the signs, printed in English and Spanish, should help prevent pelican deaths at a time that could be critical to the pelican population.
"Even though their habitat has been reduced and degraded over the years, the brown pelican population is starting to increase," Bresee said. "That is why it is important to educate fishermen about this issue."
'"/>
Contact: Harrison Bresee
305-361-4017
University of Florida
21-Apr-1999