I find it very disturbing…

I find it very disturbing that the Government of Ontario is planning to allow the killing of cormorants. These birds are a part of the great lakes ecosystem and for the government to allow essentially fishermen and hunters to target this species due to some fishermen’s fears of them depleting fish stocks and causing environmental damage does not justify the brutal culling of these birds. History has shown that when humans are involved, many problems arise due to overfishing, overhunting, cruelty, and destruction of the environment.

If hunting of cormorants is permitted, there will be birds that will not be killed immediately and therefore it will result in wounded birds that are left to drown, bleed or starve to death. It will condemn chicks, that rely on parent birds, to die of exposure and starvation. If animals must be killed, it must be done quickly and as painlessly as possible. Under the circumstances considered for this hunt, it will result in unnecessary pain and suffering for many of these birds and more than likely for other birds that are not to be part of this cull.

The proposed bag limit of 50 cormorants per day from the exceedingly long hunting season from March 15 to December 31 is shocking. In my opinion, this is not management of the cormorants but is outright war on them.

It is wrong to decimate a specific species and it is wrong to cause unnecessary pain and suffering, which will result if this proposed cull proceeds.