I am an Ontario-based…

I am an Ontario-based wildlife biologist with a PhD in ecology and a Master's degree in wildlife conservation.

1. The concerns outlined in the proposal are generic and lack substantiation. If it is related to sport fisheries, do we know that cormorant are responsible for taking sport fish? The latest scientific studies indicate that cormorants eat mostly alewife and round goby (two invasive species that compete for resources with our native fish) (see Johnson et al. 2010, Coleman et al. 2012, Johnson et al. 2015, David et al. 2016, King et l. 2017).

2. It seems to me that in order to respond to the concerns of the commercial fishing industry and property owners we need a better understanding of the impact of a cormorant hunt and a better understanding of what exactly is ailing the commercial fisheries. The proposal does not indicate any scientific justification behind either the effectiveness of the proposed cull or how removing the main predator of invasive fish will affect the food chain and benefit native fish?

3. Cormorants are native to Ontario. The culling of native species goes against many of the basic principles of conservation biology. Cormorants are part of the food chain and are a prey of bald eagles. Bald eagles need cormorants (and gulls) to eat!

4. The cormorant population has stabilised or declined slightly as stated in your proposal. What is the number of cormorants that this policy aims to achieve?

5. The largest cormorant colony is at Tommy Thompson Park (TTP) in Toronto, a very popular hot spot for bird and nature lovers. How could a hunt be allowed at TTP?

6. Shooting birds would disperse birds to new locations. Has any modelling been done to see where these dispersed birds would be heading? Hunters shooting birds and collecting carcasses would certainly disperse a great number of birds that will seek refuge elsewhere, possibly starting new colonies.

7. Cormorants often nest with other species (black-crowned night herons, great blue herons, egrets, gulls, terns etc...). Shooting would disrupt all of these sympatric nesters.

8. There are other methods of controlling bird populations that might be safer and more effective than shooting birds and having to dispose of the carcasses. Have you considered oiling eggs or disrupting nests?

9. How would a hunt be monitored? The proposed season seems extraordinarily long and could have a very quick and long-lasting effect on the population.

References:
Coleman JTH, Adams CM, Kandel M. et al., 2012, Eating the Invaders: The Prevalence of Round Goby (Apollonia melanostomus) in the Diet of Double-crested Cormorants on the Niagara River, Waterbirds, Vol 35 (1) 103-113.

David EA, Chipault JG, Lafrancois BM, 2016, Gut content analysis of Lake Michigan waterbirds in years with avian botulism type E mortality, 2010-2012, Journal of Great Lakes Research, Vol 42 (5) 1118-1128.

Johnson JH, Ross RM, McCullough RD, Mathers A, 2010, Diet shift of double-crested cormorants in eastern Lake Ontario associated with the expansion of the invasive round goby, Journal of Great Lakes Research, Vol 36 (2), 242-247.

Johnson JH, Farquar JF, Klindt RM et al. 2015, From yellow perch to round goby: A review of double-crested cormorant diet and fish consumption at three St.Lawrence river Colonies, 1999-2013, Journal of Great Lakes Research, Vol 41 (1) 1118-1128.

King LE, deSolla S, Marentette JR, 2017, Fatty acids, stable isotopes, and regurgitate reveal diet differences between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), Journal of Great Lakes Research, Vol 43 (3), 132-140.

Madura PT, Jones HP, 2016, Invasive species sustain double-crested cormorants in southern Lake Michigan, Journal of Great Lakes Research, Vol 42 (2) 413-420.