December 31, 2018 Premier…

December 31, 2018

Premier Doug Ford
premier@ontario.ca

Wildlife Section
Public Coordinator
Ministers of Natural Resources and Forestry
Policy Division
Species Conservation Policy Branch
300 Water Street
Peterborough, ON K9J 8M5

Dear Premier Ford and Public Coordinator Wildlife Section;

Subject: My opposition to your proposed Double-crested cormorant policy - EBR Registry Number 013-4124

I'm a member of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority's (TRCA) "Cormorant Advisory Group". And, I'm the Director of Toronto Residents for Cormorants and Nature that convinced Toronto mayor David Miller to declare April 12th "Cormorant Day" to celebrate these "amazing and magnificent birds".

Premier Ford, I'm surprised that your government would present such an ill considered policy as EBR Registry Number 013-4124. Even, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, whom I suspect was given this policy as a political gift, has reservations about it as you can view in their EBR submission here: https://www.ofah.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ERO-013-4124-cormorants…

Problems with EBR Registry Number 013-4124:
- made up "problem" to solve
- there is no scientific justification
- would harm co-nesting birds and their dependent young many that are federally protected species
- would cause cruelty to chicks as they'd starve and "cook" to death in the sun and elements
- would cause wounding and great suffering (I've witnessed this at Presqu'ile Provincial Park and in a video of a bird wounded at Middle Island)
- would exterminate cormorants from the province - depending on participation rates, in less than one season
- would create public safety risks for cottagers and tourists on lakes
- unenforceable
- paints hunters and fishermen as mindless extremists
- paints the government as mindless extremists
- is a waste of my tax dollars
- is simply a disgrace

Double-crested cormorants are a native species that has recovered from persecution and environmental contamination (DDT etc...) to form healthy colonies on secluded islands and peninsulas near abundant supplies of small fish - mostly non-native fish i.e. round gobies and alewives. The fact that a few trees in this marginal habitat will die due to the bird's guano, is a natural process to be understood and supported not "tidied up for you" by a massive slaughter of these birds. Toronto's Tommy Thompson Park has the largest colony of Double-crested cormorants on the Great Lakes, a spectacular sight to be viewed. The TRCA promotes the Park as "provides excellent fishing opportunities in the many small bodies of water around the park that attract many different types of fish" please find details here: http://fishingtoronto.ca/tommy-thompson-park.html While I understand that fishermen don't like anyone to be fishing near-by, it is unforgivable that the government would seek to demonize and exterminate these birds to appease fishermen. There is no conflict between fishermen and cormorants. It's a "made up" problem.

This policy is based on persecuting a native bird species and for political grandstanding. It has no merit and needs to be stopped.

Please protect these birds by supporting the listing of cormorants on the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act. It's the right thing to do.

Thank you for this opportunity to comment.

Respectfully submitted,