These regulations give me…

These regulations give me cause for concern for many reasons. I've tried to list them below, but not in order of significance.

1. Game bird - no possession limit and no requirement to dispose of properly. This seems like a terrible idea. The potential for dead birds floating on the lake and washing up on shores is repugnant. It also means that there is no check on activities of so called "hunters" - it is just wanton shooting.

2. Double Crested cormorant resembles other birds such as the Common Loon. This broad open season puts at risk other birds that may resemble cormorants. Do we want loons being shot and left to float dead on the lakes and rivers?

3. The proposed regulation makes no mention of shooters staying away from nesting colonies and in fact, suggests that they can shoot from boats. Cormorants nest with other kinds of birds so if individuals are allowed to shoot at birds sitting on nests how can you be sure that so-called "desirable" birds wont' be negatively affected? Could the hunting time be restricted so it is not in nesting time?

4. Property owners - yes these birds can be messy. Rather than an open season would it not make more sense to find a localized solution. There are scientists that study cormorants who would be more than able to make suggestions.

5. These birds are native to Ontario and are a significant portion of the diet of Bald Eagles. Why put the Bald Eagles at risk with a wide ranging permission to kill birds for 9 months of the year instead of focusing on local problems. One action always has an outcome - think before we act.

6. Detrimental to fish populations - what is the science behind this claim? Is it not possible that other there are other causes of decline of fish populations? Competition from other species, warming water due to climate change, encroachment of humans on every shoreline possible? How would you measure the results of a cormorant hunt on fish populations. Shouldn't any regulation contain monitoring of impact and a timeline for such.

There are other things that bother me but mostly this just seems to be a regulation allowing wide ranging shooting at things that look like cormorants through out the year, including nesting season and no thought about disposal. If there are local problems find a local solution instead of making a regulation that the potential to create other problems in its wake.

Consult some scientists - not just some neighbours who don't like cormorants nesting in trees near by and not just fisherman who they themselves are impacting fish stocks. This feels like a knee-jerk reaction instead of a well-thought through plan. Do more study on the actual "problem" and find a thoughtful solution.