I appreciate that the…

I appreciate that the Ministry is forthcoming, stating that the Double-crested cormorant population has stabilized or declined slightly. However, I do not understand how a Provincial Ministry responds to ad hoc concerns by creating a hunting season. As the primary custodian of Ontario's natural environment, this seems like an irresponsible action. Surely, the correct response -given the acknowledgement that the population may already be in slight decline- would be to study the issue.

As public servants at the Ministry should know, natural ecosystems are extremely sensitive to disturbances and creating a hunting season is completely uncalled for. The drop in population may continue naturally, due to food supply issues, which --again-- should be studied in case some fish contamination may be at play.

In any case, I strongly feel that the Ministry has a duty to protect our environment, and a fundamental aspect of protection is to work hard to understand the environment. Arbitrary responses to commercial interests is not in the best interest of Canadians. Please do NOT pursue a hunting season response.