I am not in favour of this…

I am not in favour of this proposal to hunt cormorants.

Cormorants are a native species that in the recent past came close to extinction. Their numbers are not that large, but because they congregate in colonies, they are conspicuous. They have been accused of depleting fish stocks. This is not supported by science. They actually provide a benefit to Ontario by consuming invasive species, which we want rid of, like gobies and alewives. Their colonies attract other water birds such as herons and egrets.

The plan to allow 50 killings per day/1500 per month/14250 per year, and to leave their bodies to rot where they lie is reminiscent of the buffalo killing of 100 years ago. I imagine that if the hunter wanted to kill 100 per day, there will be no one counting. Cormorants will be easy targets in their colonies, which will be rapidly wiped out, chasing out the other wildlife living among them. The Ontario government will briefly hear an outcry from the public when masses of rotting birds will be observed, which will be offensive, but then there will be no more complaints because there will be few if any cormorants. This is a plan to return cormorants to the endangered species list.

The real reason that fish stocks are down is not because of cormorants. It is because of the actions of people in the form of overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, loss of spawning beds and shoreline destruction, and climate change. When the cormorants are gone, you still won't have fish numbers until to fix the real problem, which is caused by man.

Please do not pass this legislation. Protect our native species and what little is left of the environment.