The Proposal to establish a…

The Proposal to establish a hunting season for double-crested cormorants in Ontario
EBR 013-4124
December 13/2018

I have reviewed the proposal and have following comments:

The proposal
- lacks any background information (online) regarding population numbers in various areas or lakes.
- It also does not include any estimates of the potential number of kills.
- lacks any discussion on the impact to other fish, birds or ecosystem.
- does not allow for a suitable process for such a contentious issue

The proposal suggest a high daily bag limit for an extensive time period. This could mean that on some small to medium sized lakes, the entire population could be lost.

The proposal allows for hunting from stationary motorboat during the peak cottaging and recreational boating season. The enforcement strategy for this issue is not included in the proposal. The lake I go to, has a cormorant colony in the middle of a significant lake, where boats come from every direction.

The proposal includes a review of issues with controlling spoilage and disposal. There may be groups who may not support these changes.

In general I support a review of the concerns raised by some organizations and individuals regarding the impact of the double crested cormorants. The process for your proposal is not suitable for such a complex and controversial issue. It does include any information on the results required. I believe that other options should be considered before proposing changes to the hunting season.