I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my concern about the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s (MNRF) proposal to establish a hunting season for the Double-crested Cormorant in Ontario. I write as a professional wildlife biologist with over twenty-five years’ experience dealing with complex conservation issues (including fisheries-wildlife interactions), and with years of experience monitoring bird populations. I believe that this proposal lacks justification from a science perspective and has the potential to significantly impact the population not just of Double-crested Cormorants but of many other native bird species, notably other colonial-nesting waterbirds. Consequently, I am opposed to this proposal.

The Double-crested Cormorant is a native Ontario species which in recent decades has recovered from near extirpation in the province. Its recovery is a complex issues, and I recognize that there are sensitive and rare ecological communities in some parts of the province where limited controls may on occasion be warranted. The current wide-ranging proposal is neither justified nor limited – nor is there any provision or practical mechanism proposed to monitor the impact of such an open-ended hunt.

The proposal lacks scientific credibility and justification, raising concerns among a wide-ranging spectrum of the public (including many conservation-minded hunters, anglers and outdoors enthusiasts). In particular, the species’ population appears to be stabilizing, or decreasing, as noted by MNRF, undermining one of the arguments used to support a hunt. The biology of the species is highly complex, and common perceptions about the impact of the cormorants on fish populations, plant communities and other wildlife are frequently misunderstood, partially understood, or sometimes misrepresented. Such misconceptions should not form the basis of such sweeping changes to wildlife management policies in Ontario.

My greatest concern relates to the potential hunting of Double-crested Cormorants at breeding colonies, as well as the exceptionally high proposed bag limits and long open season. Hunting for game species in Ontario is typically closed during the breeding season for adults caring for young, and for young, nestlings, eggs. (In the case of cormorants, both adults are required to raise young.) There are sound wildlife management reasons for closing hunting during the breeding season, including managing population assessments more accurately and effectively. Not only could this lead to highly significant impact on the cormorant population, it also poses a major risk to other bird species which often nest in close association (e.g., herons, egrets, terns). Shooting and disturbance at or near breeding colonies could lead to nest failures and colony abandonment of broad avian wildlife communities. The proposed daily limit of 50 birds is exceptionally high, and unlikely to be effectively enforced given the relatively small number of Ontario conservation officers. Further, the exceptionally long open season represents, essentially, the entire duration of the species’ annual occurrence in Ontario. The long hunting season, very high proposed bag limits, and the proposed permission to hunt during the breeding season (including at/near colonies) are particularly problematic aspects of this proposal.

I encourage MNRF not to proceed with this proposal.