This is a bad proposal. As a…

This is a bad proposal. As a resident of northern Ontario, living in a city that relies on healthy lakes economically, ecologically and culturally/socially, I am very concerned about numerous aspects of this proposal. First, it would undoubtedly have devastating consequences not only for Double crested cormorants, but also for all the other bird species that nest alongside them. Nesting birds are not able to tolerate people shooting at them OR next to them - they cannot differentiate between a shot that is aimed at them, and one that isn't! Having people shooting at them from a boat is going to destroy the nesting prospects for all of the bird species in a colony - not just cormorants. This is absolutely unacceptable. I think that if the provincial government is really concerned about potential threats to commercial fish stocks, they should look at more serious human-derived factors first. More genuine efforts to protect fish stocks would include protecting aquatic environments from pollution, staving off human-caused toxic algal blooms (which are increasing as the number of ice-free days on many of Ontario's lakes increase), and preventing transfer of invasive species. The Double crested cormorant is being used as a scapegoat for human mismanagement, and many, many other species would suffer disastrous consequences if this proposal is passed. Decisions like this should be evidence-based, and informed by science - not driven by special interest groups. What we need (and by "we" I mean communities that rely on healthy lakes for their economic, social and ecological importance in our lives) is a government that takes the time to research, consult broadly (not just with lobby groups), and develop policies that are actually likely to be both effective and ecologically responsible. The Migratory Bird Convention exists for a reason. We Ontarians don't need this, and we lake-dependent Ontarians don't want this. Please re-think this one.