Cormorants have vastly…

Cormorants have vastly increased in numbers over the past decade. They appear to have no natural enemies and have invaded small lakes and rivers where they rapidly deplete the fish population , consuming up to a pound of fish per bird daily. This leaves other wildlife that depend on fish such as loons without a viable food source. This upsets the balance of nature down the food chain.

Cormorant droppings are highly acidic. These birds cluster in large groups in trees and their droppings kill the trees and surrounding vegetation within a very short period of time. Many islands on small lakes are now totally void of vegetation. Shoreline areas and river tributaries are equally affected. These highly acidic cormorant dropping foul surrounding waters and as their numbers increase at an alarming pace this problem will only get worse Droppings on buildings and vehicles such as boats and cars eat away at the paint and metal causing thousands of dollars per annum in Ontario.

I urge the provincial government to pass this bill. It is important to restore a natural balance of nature in this province and to allow for the protection of vegetation in our lakes and water.