Hi, my wife and I are…

Hi, my wife and I are boaters (sailboat) on Lake Ontario and have been for 30 years. We moor our boat at Bluffers Park Yacht Club in Toronto. It’s difficult not to notice the environmental damage caused by the exponential growth of the cormorant population on the south shore of the lake, particularly but not limited to the Leslie street spit, Niagara River and Bay of Quinte. It appears that the spit itself will be entirely devoid of trees if the population is left unchecked. We literally see thousands of these birds travelling east-west in long lines all day on the lake. Recently, they’ve appeared where we reside in Whitby Harbour and in short order (2 seasons) have destroyed a sizeable stand of trees along the south face of the break wall that was used for a wind break. Whitby is attempting to beautify its harbour and attract new residents, tourists and recreational boaters. There is also a sizeable population way up on balsam lake in cottage country where my parents reside. It appears that there is no limit to the potential growth of this bird and the damage it can do to fish populations and the shoreline.

I am not a hunter or fisher but consider myself an environmentalist. That said, for the sake of the environment, I am in favour of the proposed hunting season for the double crested cormorant.