Pelicans in Texas injured by fish hooks

Pelicans on the Texas Gulf Coast are injuring themselves by impaling on fish hooks of fishermen who also select the same area for fishing.
In the opinion of wildlife activist Sharon Schmalz, the number of these birds that have impaled themselves on fishhooks is a sort of record – she has been working in the area for 30 years and she has never come across so many injured pelicans earlier. Most of the birds have two to four to five hooks in them.
Wildlife veterinarians in Houston have extracted the barbs out of eyes, bills, midsections and untangled fishing line from 38 birds in the last three days. And there are another five awaiting treatment at the Wildlife Center of Texas. In some cases, surgery would be required to remove the hooks.
Apart from these, there are some more pelicans flailing about near Galveston's Pier 14 and the officials of wildlife and the police are investigating to find out why and how this trend began.