Hello. I am a the Chippewas…

Hello. I am a the Chippewas of Rama First Nation’s Community Consultation Worker. We have a few concerns regarding the proposed cormorant hunting season.

Our community is receptive to the idea of a hunting season for cormorants although the proposed 10-months could be more than is required for a number of reasons.

Our first concern is how it will affect public safety, in particular the Lake Couchiching area. The lake is a popular tourist destination and we are concerned about the hunting of cormorants during the summer months. This could pose some serious challenges to community safety in that Ship Island where they nest is very close to our community and an area popular with boaters. We are especially concerned about the exemption to allow hunting between June 16th and August 31st.

Our second concern is the potential for cormorant carcasses to be left behind after they are shot. We understand that it will be mandatory to retrieve the dead birds but since cormorants are rarely used for anything we have concerns that they will be left behind. This would be unsightly and could lead to water contamination. We will receive phone calls/complaints from our own members and the public at large. Rama does not have the man-power to deal with such calls. How will enforcement be addressed?

Although we would prefer a proper consultation period and have requested an extension, we have a number of initial suggestions including:
1. Limit the hunting season for the double-crested cormorant. This could coincide with the duck hunting season (September to December). By limiting the hunting season, public safety would be protected due to hunters being prohibited to shoot their guns in the summer months in areas that have high boat traffic.
2. The creation and implementation of a safer management plan for the double-crested cormorant such as the oiling of eggs, population monitoring, etc.
3. The creation of a plan by the MNRF to ensure birds are collected once they have been shot.
4. Limit/reduce the number of birds an individual is allowed to kill in a day. 50 per day is excessive.

Again, our preference would be to have time to engage our community and once again, we request that an extension be granted.