Pelicans are iconic waterbirds that often come into conflict with fishers. Understanding their welfare in these conflicts helps identify coexistence solutions.
Wild pelican welfare is primarily compromised by fishing gear entanglement and human persecution. Pelicans caught in fishing line undergo prolonged struggling, often resulting in severe wing injuries or drowning. Those rescued with fishing line embedded in wings or through the bill face complex surgical intervention and rehabilitation. In some fishery conflicts, pelicans are deliberately killed or harassed — acts that involve significant suffering. Protecting pelican welfare requires enforcing legal protections, providing clean-up of monofilament line from fishing areas, and supporting fishing practices that reduce accidental pelican bycatch. Education of fisher communities about pelican feeding ecology — and non-lethal deterrents for aquaculture operations — reduces conflict mortality.