I am writing to strongly…

I am writing to strongly voice my opposition to this proposal.
there are several reasons I oppose this.

1. This is a recipe for disaster! I am a cottager in Ontario and Double crested cormorants nest on tiny islands on my lake. To allow someone to sit in a boat and shoot at these birds during the summer months when so many people are on the lake is an accident waiting to happen. You cannot allow hunters with guns out on the lake while others are swimming, water skiing, canoeing, etc. This proposal is blatantly irresponsible!!

2. You say there continues to be concerns expressed by some groups (commercial fishing industry, property owners) and individuals that cormorants have been detrimental to fish populations, island forest habitats, other species and aesthetics.
as a result of those concerns, you are responding with this proposal.
My question is: Where is the science to support the claims that Double crested cormorants are detrimental to fish stocks? In fact, Double-crested cormorants are native Ontario birds that have repopulated parts of their former range and fulfill a valuable ecological role. Not only do they benefit biodiversity, they help generate healthy fish populations and should be considered a integral component of Ontario’s natural heritage. According to the Canadian Wildlife Service, only 2% of their diet consists of commercially valuable fish and they actually eat invasive fish species. While their droppings can kill their nesting trees, the nutrient-rich guano leads to a new round of healthy plant and animal life.
Under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, property owners may harass, capture or kill wildlife that is causing or is about to cause damage to their property. Property owners have the right to deal with problems as needed. The province does not need to declare 'open season' to help property owners.

3. You are proposing to list the double-crested cormorant as a “Game Bird". If this is a game bird then why is the Ministry also consulting on a proposal to amend the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act to add provisions so hunters could allow cormorant to spoil. How is it considered a game bird if no one is eating them?

4. You are proposing an open hunting season for double-crested cormorant from March 15 to December 31 each year across the province with a bag limit of 50 cormorants/day with no possession limit. That means each hunter could kill over 14,000 birds per year. And with no means to track volume as the birds will be left to spoil, any hunter could kill more than that. This essentially adds up to a province-wide cull of this species.

Thank you for considering my comments.