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The Progressive Fish-Culturist

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Use of Monofilament Fishing Line as a Gull

Control
a
David E. Ostergaard
a
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , Allegheny National Fish Hatchery , Warren,
Pa, 16365, USA
Published online: 09 Jan 2011.

To cite this article: David E. Ostergaard (1981) Use of Monofilament Fishing Line as a Gull Control, The
Progressive Fish-Culturist, 43:3, 134-134, DOI: 10.1577/1548-8659(1981)43[134:UOMFLA]2.0.CO;2

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1577/1548-8659(1981)43[134:UOMFLA]2.0.CO;2

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 and successful References
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Accepted 11 March 1981 Can. 35:1316-1321.

Use of Monofilament Fishing Line as a Gull Control

Fish lost to predatorybirds is a chronic,and in some about 41 cm (16 in.) betweenlinespreventsthe gulls
instances,an important problem at many fish hatch- from landing in the water. The linesare locatedabout
eries, particularly those that use intensive culture 20 cm (8 in.) abovewater level. Routine cleaningand
methods.Over the yearsa variety of control methods samplingcan be accomplishedwithout moving the
have beenusedto deter theselosses,includingcracker lines. More involved activities, such as grading or
shells,netting,timed exploders,covers,and firearms; moving fish, can be done by removingthe S-hooks
mosthavebeenineffective.The followingis a descrip- from the screenand either rehooking the lines at a
tion of an inexpensiveand efficientmeansof control different location on the screenor by removingthem
for depredationby herring gulls(Larus argentatus). from the work area entirely. When the work is done,
The AlleghenyNational Fish Hatcheryis locatedin the lines can be rehooked to the screens at the desired
northwestern Pennsylvaniajust below the Kinzua width. This method is working well after more than a
Dam on the Allegheny River. The hatchery has a year of use.
serious predation problem by gulls, which peaks
during their spring and fall migrations. Previous
attemptsto prevent lossesthrough the use of timed --David E. Ostergaard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
exploders, covers, and cracker shells were unsuc- Service, Allegheny National Fish Hatchery,
cessful.A systemwas subsequentlydevisedthat uses Warren, Pa. 16365
50-poundmonofilamentfishingline stretchedlength-
wisealong the raceways.
The line is fastened to the screens at each end of the
24.4-m (80-ft) racewayswith S-hooks. Spacing of Accepted28 January 1981

134 Prog. Fish-Cult. 43(3), July 1981