RE: Cormorants First…

RE: Cormorants
First off, in my opinion this whole idea is deplorable.
"The Cormorant's population declined between 1950s-1970s due to environmental
contaminants." The causal effects from humans using DDT and other toxins.
They increased rapidly from the 70s to the 2000s - because flocks will do
that when the 'predatorial or toxicity' is removed or controlled..
"Their populations have STABILIZED or declined SLIGHTLY." In other words,
they are back to the numbers they were before humans decimated them prior to
the 50s.
"Some groups say the cormorant is detrimental to the fish
populations, island forest habitats, other species and aesthetics."
Let's take a look at that statement: People who fish for 'sport' are always
going to be against any kind of competition for their catch. The cormorants
eat live fish and are excellent 'fisherbirds' with a skill that would make
any human fisherman envious. The birds do it for survival, any fisherman I've
ever met who fishes the great lakes has always told me that "(they'd) never
eat the fish in the lakes...it's just not healthy."
Detrimental to island forest habitats: Clear cutting for a
house to go up; docks set up to tie off a motor boat that dumps toxins into
the water; chopping trees down for firewood because that's how they wanted to
heat their 'cabin/cottage'. The determination between who causes what
detriment to the growth of trees on islands, in my opinion, is up for grabs.
Detriment to other species: I think not. They live in colonies with other
birds such as night herons, great blue herons, gulls, etc. There is a safety
in numbers from natural predators...just not from human predators.
Detriment to aesthetics: Driving along the highway near
Hamilton Harbour do we see the cormorants in the trees? Maybe. But do we
notice the industrial piles of waste, the 'capped' area of the harbour (due
to extreme pollution), and lets not forget the beautiful plumes of toxins
going up in the atmosphere.
The changes being listed require so many comments:
1- Designating them as game birds only gives humans the right to kill
them without any remorse or compunction to actually seek out a better solution if their populations need looking at - which they actually don't at this time.
2- Open Season - March 15 to December 31...starting into the migrating season, throughout, courting and nesting and birthing and rearing the young...onto the juveniles learning to fly and back into the migratory season. The December 31st date would seem to me to keep
the hunters sated with being able to just shoot anything.
3- Small games hunting licenses valid June 6 - August 31. This would enable
bows and arrows, falconry birds, etc., under that classification, to be used
to kill off babes not able to fly and juveniles just learning.
4- This "change" is interesting as stated: "Establish a LIMIT of 50
cormorants/day with NO possession Limit." So they are saying it's fine to
kill 50 birds a day but if you go over, and have more in your possession,
don't worry about it.
Do you realize that one person killing 50 birds per day will kill 1500 in 30
days of hunting. That means 100 people hunting 30 days over the course of 9
and 1/2 months, killing 50 birds per day = 150,000 birds. Remember it is Open
Season.
How long would it take for even 100 people - who are not given real
restrictions - to decimate a species entirely?
5- The use of shotguns on a colony...it doesn't matter that the shot is
'designated as safe to the environment'...think in terms of the resulting
deaths and wounding of these birds and any others in the vicinity. And will they be brought to any place for help? Not by the hunter that's for sure...doesn't matter whether he hits other birds or not...who is going to oversee this - there's not enough conservation officers now.
6- Hunting from a stationary motor boat: That brings all kinds of visions to
mind when I think of someone sitting in a boat with a
shotgun aiming at the cormorants in the trees and bushes while the cars zip
by on the bridge and the roads below. Don't tell me it would never happen!
But, I do wonder what the O.P.P. would think of that potential nightmare?
"Provisions will also be added to "exempt" persons "lawfully" hunting (or
possessing) cormorant carcasses to be able to leave them to spoil but they
still have to retrieve them and dispose of the carcasses." This is Doubletalk.
"The Ministry will implement a cormorant monitoring program to assess
population status and trends." We all know how good the Ministry is about
looking after wildlife. They hand out permits for people to widen roads or
build malls or condos or be able to drain wetlands for such things too. I
have copies of these. Those permits allow them to destroy, or kill, flora and
fauna on the endangered species list of Ontario and their habitats. So how
can they be trusted to stop the destruction of a species before it's gone too
far.
"Purpose of the Policy - Proposing to list cormorants as game bird, create a
hunting season for population management."
There is no 'real' purpose to this bill other than the decimation of a
species of bird.
"Regulatory impact statement: The anticipated environmental consequences of
the proposal are expected to be neutral."
"The anticipated economical consequences of the proposal are expected to be
neutral but depend on levels of hunter participation."
In other words as long as no one kills the birds there wont be any changes.
But if the hunters get on board, then the impact will be the decimation and
possible extinction of a species from our areas.
These birds eat invasive fish, are useless for human consumption and when you take a species out you will upset the balance. This bill is strictly to allow the killing of a species.
There is so much - morally and sustainably - wrong with this bill that our
government is trying to implement.
The government needs to listen to biologists, rehabilitators and others in the know to learn from them and implement rules and regulations to make it so the human species can live with other species and not just think that eradicating them is always the answer.
Educating the public, letting people know that the government is trying to learn too, will make for a better end to the story.
Do the right thing...stop this from going through.
Thank you.