I am a sailor on Lake…

I am a sailor on Lake Ontario and keep my boat in Presqu'ile Bay. I have enjoyed watching the cormorants that I see on the lake and have sailed by the island colonies to the west of Presqu'ile Provincial Park many times. I really love these birds and am horrified to learn about this proposal to allow them to be shot from boats, even in their nesting colonies.
I have a background in Restoration Ecology and this type of intervention in an attempt to 'control the population' is not ecologically sound and can only cause much harm to all of the species that may be affected by it. There are other birds that nest alongside the cormorants and would undoubtedly be disturbed and harassed by the gunfire. The invasive species of fish that are currently in the great lakes will also become a bigger problem as these species have been a big part of the cormorant's diet. There is no ecological benefit to allowing a controlled cull for the above reasons and a free-for-all hunt, like the one being proposed, could spell disaster for the double-crested cormorants. The allowable numbers of 50 birds killed each day suggest that the population could be quickly decimated with nesting pairs suffering if their mate is killed or injured and chicks dying from starvation if their parents are killed. Entire colonies could be killed by overzealous hunters and it will be a colossal waste of their lives. The idea that the Ministry will monitor the hunt suggests that there will be people on the ground for 7-8 months of the year at all the colony sites which is very unlikely or very expensive and so the whole proposal undermines the stability and survival of the cormorant populations. The proposal states that there is no real benefit to allowing a hunt and yet there is a huge amount of harm that is being proposed. It's not only unethical to allow wanton killing of a species but it's cruel to allow the colonies to be shot at in this way where many birds will be injured or harmed and parents and chicks will be harassed during nesting season. Studies show that the cormorant populations on the Great Lakes have stabilized after a rapid growth period but their rebound from the brink of a population crash mustn't be forgotten. With climate changing and previous ecological patterns being disrupted, we don't know what the future may bring for Great Lakes ecology and we can't operate in a heedless way when it comes to a species that play a key role in lake ecology. They deserve to be here. Please do not allow this hunt.