I believe this is a wreck…

I believe this is a wreck less way to handle the cormorant populations. I do agree that the cormorant population can be overbearing in some locations, however, complaints of the cormorants being detrimental to fish populations seems to be a stretch. I believe the proposed changes will have a negative overall impact to the local ecosystems and cause future compliance issues with hunters. I don't understand why the changes will be made and then a "cormorant monitoring program" will be implemented to determine trends and status of populations. Should this not be completed in entirety before changes are made?

My concerns are as follows:
- the hunting season would be during the breeding season which could add to the overall negative affect
- particularly in Southern Ontario, the summer months are spent at cottages along the water. Has there been any thought as to the negative feedback from cottage owners on increase gun fire
- hunters are now allowed to leave the meat to spoil and an excessive bag limit per day. What will happen when dead birds start washing onto shorelines and beaches?
- do hunters have the appropriate skills to identify this particular species?

I do agree that the populations need to be managed. However, this seems to be a large swing in the other direction. Are there not intermediate steps that can be taken to control populations? Oil eggs? This step seems drastic and detrimental. I think it will cause friction between different organizations and paint hunters with a negative image. I would examine all other possible mitigation measures before going to the most drastic one.