TWO ducks have been rescued from the banks of the Cleddau after being found with lengths of fishing line entangled around their legs.

The ducks were spotted in the middle of the river near Quay Street, Haverfordwest.

“They appeared to be exhausted from trying to set themselves free,” said RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer and Wildlife Officer, Ellie West.

“Fortunately when I arrived it was low tide so it was easy to see them.

“Initially I was unable to see what they were entangled in, and they seemed pretty exhausted from trying to get themselves free. But when I arrived, they had been able to stand and sit on a rocky area and rest a little.”

Although the water was low, it was unsafe for Ellie to attempt a solo rescue, given the dangers of this section of the river.

As a result she requested the assistance of the Mid and West Wales Fire and Service, and crew members from Haverfordwest Fire Station arrived on scene.

“The crew was able to walk out to the ducks in their dry suits and use my nets to contain the mallards, and then walk back with them to dry land to meet me.

“The fire crew was brilliant as usual, and we are incredibly thankful for their assistance.”

Sadly the two ducks were badly entangled with the fishing line around their legs so Ellie sought the assistance of her colleague, RSPCA Inspector Keith Hogben.

“The line was cut from both ducks to allow us to work on one duck at a time with the other safely confined in a dark quiet box,” said Ellie.

“Sadly the quieter duck had a line so tightly embedded around his leg that it had cut the circulation off and his wounds were down to the bone. He also had wounds to the outer edges of its wings where he had been bashing them trying to free itself.”

As rehabilitation would not have been possible and to prevent further suffering, the duck sadly had to be put to sleep.

“Thankfully the other duck was much stronger and only had the line wrapped around his leg lightly which hadn’t caused any injury,” said Ellie.

“He was alert and active with no wounds, so he was returned to the river straight away for release where he flew off happily.

“When I returned to the river to release the duck the tide was much higher and it was obvious if we’d waited any longer to perform the rescue, the ducks would have been swept away on the high water.

“This was obviously a very sad outcome for one duck, but a lucky outcome for the other.”

Around 40% of all litter-related calls to the RSPCA across England and Wales in 2023 were about animals that had specifically become caught in fishing litter.

Ellie added: “It’s simple – when people are out and about, we urge them to hold on to their litter until there is an opportunity to dispose of it safely and responsibly – or recycle where appropriate. As we all strive to create a better world for every animal, this could save an animal’s life.“

The RSPCA says a majority of anglers are careful when fishing – but a small number are letting the community down by not disposing of their waste properly and leaving animals in danger.

“The majority of anglers do dispose of their litter properly and it is frustrating that those who don’t possibly don’t realise how dangerous it is to animals,” added Ellie. “Discarded line in particular is a terrible hazard for wildlife, particularly as it can be almost invisible.

“We strongly urge those who enjoy fishing to be extra cautious to make sure nothing is left behind. Most anglers are very responsible when disposing of their litter, but it only takes one piece of snagged line to be left in a tree or dropped near the water to endanger the life of an animal. We ask anglers to follow the Angling Trust Anglers Against Litter campaign and make use of recycling schemes to dispose of their waste tackle.”