CLEVELAND resident Rosemary O’Connor fears a dog or child will be injured from fish hooks at GJ Walter Park.
Ms O’Connor said she had pushed council to ban fishing from the off-leash beach at the Cleveland park.
She said the dog beach was small and sometimes the fishing lines encroached onto the swimming area.
Ms O’Connor said that in June a dog had been caught on a fishing hook.
“Fortunately we were able to cut the fishing line and remove the hook without damage to the dog’s mouth,” Ms O’Connor said.
“The council indicated that a ‘no fishing’ sign would be erected for safety but no sign has appeared.”
Ms O’Connor said council officers told her in response to a further complaint that signage would not solve the issue as Redlands had about 230 kilometres of coastline.
The response said the best approach was media releases and education advising people of the danger to fauna and people of leaving fishing line and hooks around.
Ms O’Connor said it was unlikely an education program would be of any use.
“Unfortunately the education card is often used as opposed to actually doing something about a real problem that is affecting the community,” Ms O’Connor said.
“A small number of fishermen in a tiny area of the foreshore are creating an ongoing public issue.”
Ms O’Connor said during another visit she saw a baited hook on the beach.
“Fortunately someone found it before a dog ate it or a child stepped on it.”
The ABC reported in July that a border collie was lucky to be alive after swallowing a fishing hook and more than a metre of line on the Sunshine Coast.
Balsa was on a leash during a pre-dawn walk when the incident occurred.
The hook was removed by a vet after it got lodged in Balsa’s stomach.
The ordeal left the owners with a $2700 vet bill.
“Fishermen have the whole bay to fish in,” Ms O’Connor said.
“This is just a tiny area of beach.”
Cr Paul Golle urged residents to be vigilant and for fishers to place old equipment in a proper disposal container.
“I find it quite irresponsible that fishing line and other assorted fishing equipment is left in areas where not only domestic animals are impacted but small children playing along our coastline could be snared in the lines and hooks,” Cr Golle said.
A Redland City Council spokesperson told the Redland City Bulletin that council had limited jurisdiction to regulate the use of the marine zone below highest astronomical tide or HAT.
“Council’s local laws cannot override or act contrary to state legislation which regulates the use of the marine zone,” the spokesperson said.
“As such, council cannot prohibit the use of the beach for fishing as an unlawful activity, even if signage is placed above HAT.
“Even though dogs are allowed off-leash, all users need to act with the necessary caution and consideration of other users and wildlife.”
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