The proposed legislation is…

The proposed legislation is by definition overkill.
The daily bag limit of 50 birds with no possession limit and such an extensive open season will lead to an unnecessary slaughter of a native bird species. This policy was brought forward based on anecdotal information and lobbying rather than evidence based decision making.
I cannot fathom how any Ministry, Organization or law abiding hunter that supports conservation can agree to a policy that allows hunters to shoot cormorants and leave their carcasses to waste. This is shameful "kill them all" behaviour and the Ministry should expect to be held equally accountable for the full exterpation of this species if they moved ahead with the bill as proposed.
I do support hunting and fishing conservation but this bill needs some serious changes.
- disclose the full scientific reports that support the need for this legislation.
- substantially lower the daily bag limit and shorten the open kill season that it doesn't overlap with cottage usage and other migrational waterfowl nesting seasons.
- require that hunters do not allow the killed birds go to waste. If a hunter shoots a duck or a goose they must gather and not let it rot... why is this any different?
- commit to continuing studies to measure and report on the impact to both cormorant populations and other bird species.