Saltwater Restaurants, Inc. has donated $10,000 to cover the rehabilitation costs for pelicans that have become injured or orphaned along the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area. The funds will assist with the treatment costs at Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge (ECWR) where trained specialists work to help the pelicans heal with their injury and be returned back to their environment.
“Our refuge center treats over 200 seabirds annually and the average cost for rehabilitation for one of these birds’ can be up to $75 a day for up to 14-days depending on their injuries and care. The support from Saltwater Restaurants will help fund the medications and professional veterinary attention needed specifically for our brown pelicans, which make up more than half of the seabirds brought to our center each year.”
Modern threats to brown pelicans include oil spills and pollution, human disturbance of nesting colonies, entanglement in fishing gear, swallowing fishing hooks or debris. The partnership will include signage along local piers with a rescue hotline and helpful instructions for when people come across an injured or entangled seabird or animal.
The donation is a part of Saltwater Restaurant’s ongoing S.E.A. initiative that assists in programs that support beach conservation and welfare campaigns along the Emerald Coast. The restaurants include Surf Hut, Rockin Tacos, Floyd’s Shrimp House, Al’s Beach Club, and the three Crab Trap locations in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Perdido Key.
For more information about ECWR and their mission, please visit emeraldcoastwildliferefuge.org.
Views: 2
