Thanks for the story about the pelican. I agree with your sentiments about the outlandish way that person cruelly-abused that animal, and am sad to see a fellow angler devolve to that level.
On the other hand, I think maybe we should give lowprofile the benefit of the doubt, as he was probably jesting or venting his frustration... Posts online don't normally reveal the full aspect of a person's real intentions... as it is more likely that he was 'just saying.'
Of course, if we see him out on the water clubbing seals or sea lions with an icepick, that's another matter.
I'm actually planning to buy that catch back since the description says that there are drainage holes for fluid. I normally take out a trader joes soft-shell, insulated tote bag with some ice to keep my legal catches fresh. Spares me from attracting annoyances or other encounters. My cousin had a Boston Whaler with a few of those offshore fish bags which were awesome. Kept the decks clean, and fish fresh (sashimi-grade).
As for a humane method for warding off unwanted wildlife, I wonder if something such as a noise-can would be effective without harming the offender in question.