I strongly disagree with the…

I strongly disagree with the proposal to allow a hunting season for double-crested cormorants. The province has not put forward any scientific evidence or justification to support this proposal. This native species is part of the ecosystem of our province and Lake Ontario. The cormorant population suffered greatly in past decades from pollution such as DDT and has only recently recovered to the point where it is now, once again, thriving. We should be welcoming its return, rather than persecuting it.

This is a large colonial nesting bird, so it’s not surprising that its colonies are noticeable. Nature often has a way of stabilizing populations that have undergone large swings; for example, predators (non-human) can take advantage of the newly available source of prey. This is already happening with the resurgence of bald eagles (another positive recovery story) which are preying on cormorant nests.

If any population management is found to be advisable, based on scientific evidence, there are much more sensible alternatives to declaring on open season on these birds. For example, mute swans, a non-native species, cause negative impacts on waterfowl nesting areas and are controlled by the Canadian Wildlife Service oiling their eggs – a low-key method that probably most of the public is unaware of. Imagine if cormorants were perceived as being as aesthetically pleasing as mute swans and an open season was declared on them! No doubt there would be a huge public outcry. Surely a scientific approach makes more sense than declaring war on a species that is big, black, visible in large groups and considered unattractive!

Cormorants are beneficial predators of invasive fish species, such as gobies and alewives. The argument put forward by anglers that this bird is hurting the sport fish stock is once again not founded in scientific evidence.

I call upon the province to make full use of the scientific expertise available within the Ministry and in the research community, and to make the wise decision to withdraw this ill-conceived proposal.

Thank you.