I would like to express my…

I would like to express my strong opposition to the proposal to establish a hunting season for Double-crested Cormorants in Ontario as posted in the Ontario Environmental Registry on November 19, 2018.

The stated reason for this proposal is that there are “concerns expressed by some groups (commercial fishing industry, property owners) and individuals that cormorants have been detrimental to fish populations, island forest habitats, other species and aesthetics.”

There is no mention of any evidence to show that cormorants are, indeed, having significant detrimental effect on any commercial fish species. There is evidence available to show that cormorants feed on 2 invasive species, Round Goby and Alewives, that are generally known to interrupt the natural ecology of the Great Lakes and subsequently have a much broader, longer-term detrimental effect on a sustainable commercial fishery.

There is also no evidence offered that show cormorants are having a general impact on island forest habitats. The few know examples are of limited geographic scope which should be dealt with on a case by case bases and the use of a general extended hunting season cannot be expected to resolve those specific problems.

The cormorant hunting season is proposed to extend from March 15 to Dec 31, which includes the breeding season and, coupled with the change that allows hunting from an open boat clearly promotes the hunting at breeding colonies. Aside from the ethical problem of destroying parent birds with young left to starve in the nest, many of these colonies are of mixed species including gulls, terns and herons which, ironically would be impacted at their most vulnerable time by the very action purported to help protect them. This would also most likely lead to contravention of the federal Migratory Bird Act.

The bag limit of 50 birds is meaningless since it is also proposed that an exemption be made to the prohibition of allowing game to spoil so that the hunters do not have to retrieve any birds that they have shot. This clearly will allow and even promote, unlimited slaughter of cormorant colonies. Ironically, the population of cormorants are finally stabilizing in the Great Lakes after a long recovery from pesticide contamination. This senseless slaughter may very well trigger a stimulus to their reproduction and ultimately spur their population on to even higher numbers and defeat the stated goal of this proposal to manage the cormorants population.

I ask that you withdraw this ill-conceived approach to cormorant population management.