The Ontario government…

The Ontario government proposal is NOT a wildlife management program, it is an ERADICATION plan that will push cormorants back to brink of extinction in the province!

The Government of Ontario is setting the stage to make what is probably the worst, most regressive, most draconian, most cruel, and, most wasteful wildlife management decision in Canadian history, and, one that will drive an important, ecologically beneficial native waterbird back to the brink of extinction, or, worse, in the province!

A recent "Environmental Registry of Ontario" posting announced that the Government is seeking input on a proposed change to the province’s "Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act" that will:

▪ designate double-crested cormorants as a “game” species,
▪ create a province-wide annual hunting season from March 15 until Dec 31,
▪ allow anyone holding a valid Ontario Outdoors Card, and, small game hunting license, to kill up to 50 cormorants per day, (1,500 per month, or, more than 14,000 per season), including nesting parents and,
▪ allow the carcasses to spoil (i.e., rot)!

The Government’s proposal would:

▪ allow the wholesale, uncontrolled, impossible to monitor, slaughter of cormorants across the province,
▪ devastate, and, possibly eradicate, a recovered native wildlife species,
▪ cause damaging levels of disturbance, and, the destruction, of numerous non-target bird species,
▪ irreparably damage natural ecosystems,
▪ encourage the worst form of “slob hunting,”
▪ endanger the public by allowing shooting throughout the summer season when lakes, and, natural areas, are populated by Ontario residents, and, tourists!

Why?

The Government of Ontario says it is responding to concerns about too many cormorants, depleted fish stocks, and, environmental damage! But, those concerns are largely just anecdotes, complaints from a small, radical segment of the fishing community, and, unsubstantiated claims that were debunked long ago! THERE IS NO SUBSTANTIVE BODY OF EVIDENCE PROVING THAT CORMORANTS ARE DEPLETING FISH STOCKS, OR, CAUSING ANY ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS, WHATSOEVER!

The reality is that cormorants are a natural part of Ontario’s rich biodiversity, and, an ecologically beneficial species, being major predators of invasive fish species, like round gobies, and, alewives, attracting other waterbirds to their nesting sites, and, serving other important functions in the ecosystems they inhabit!

A Recovered Species!

Persecution by humans, and, pesticide poisoning, all but wiped out cormorants in Ontario on two previous occasions, but, in recent years, they have returned, and, populated those habitats that will support them!

Far from being overabundant, cormorant numbers are relatively modest, have stabilized, and, are dropping in some areas! The entire North American double-crested cormorant population is estimated to be less than the population of Toronto, with about 250,000 in the entire Great Lakes Basin, and, considerably less residing in Ontario!

Extinction?

Because they are conspicuous birds that congregate in colonies on exposed islands, and, peninsulas, (only about 3% of potential island sites in the Great Lakes are suitable), they are particularly vulnerable, being easily targeted, and, killed, especially when nesting! Small congregations could be wiped out in just a few minutes, or, an hour, while larger colonies could be destroyed in just a few days, or, a week!

Radical cormorant-haters have already attacked colonies under cover of night, destroying nests, stomping on chicks, and, killing adults! Once the proposed changes to the law come into effect, these people will be given free rein to destroy as many cormorants as they want! It would not take very many people very long to wipe out most cormorants in the province, leaving just a tiny remnant of their population in a few protected areas! And, driving them back to near extinction, or, even worse, in Ontario is a real possibility!