Keep an eye out for sick pelicans as weather warms
Please keep an eye out for sick pelicans.
Spring's warm weather signifies the start of pelican sickness around the Central Coast.
The primary cause of the sickness in the Peninsula area and beyond is "ingestion of blue green algal toxin" from a storm water drain that the Council refuses to remediate in the Brisbane Water.
The toxin that results from algal blooms that grow in the drain nine months of the year is the primary source of gross incapacity, suffering and death of our precious pelicans on the Central Coast.
These significant losses have been occurring for over 25 years.
In 2016, my six years of rallying and significant media culminated in the NSW Environment Protection Authority finally testing one of the offending drains.
Blue green algal toxin was determined to be the cause of the unacceptable losses and suffering.
The then Gosford Council was ordered to remediate and plant out the drain to prevent the growth of blooms.
Correspondence received from the Environment Minister in 2017 stated that the Council had completed the works and there was no longer any issue.
By 2018, I was repeatedly advised by the NSW Environment Protection Authority that Council was no longer required to "remediate the drain further".
Negligible work has been conducted on this primary source of toxin and our iconic pelicans continue to suffer and die cruelly at a significant rate 25 years on.
I have been proactively rescuing and attempting to rehabilitate these poor birds for the past 13 years with significant success, but at least 250 have died cruelly despite my full-time efforts.
Each pelican cost me $100 or more to rehabilitate, so all help is appreciated.
Despite sick pelicans looking like they're on death's door, many can be saved with electrolyte therapy, probiotics, physio and other support measures.
My average "return to the wild" time is four days.
They don't need to be euthanased.
My contact is 0458 975 498, and please send a picture and leave a message.
SOURCE:
Email, 22 Sep 2023
Wendy Gillespie, Woy Woy