OUR FAMILY STRONGLY OPPOSES…

OUR FAMILY STRONGLY OPPOSES THE PROPOSED DECIMATION OF THE DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT POPULATION!

The Government of Ontario is proposing a "hunt" of double-crested cormorants that could easily eradicate this important, ecologically beneficial native waterbird from most of the province!

The Government is proposing to:

▪ designate double-crested cormorants as a “game” species,
▪ create a province-wide annual hunting season from March 15 until Dec 31,
▪ allow anyone holding a valid Ontario Outdoors Card, and, small game hunting license, to kill up to 50 cormorants per day (1,500 per month, or, more than 14,000 per season), including nesting parents, and,
▪ allow the carcasses to spoil (i.e., rot)!

The Government’s proposal would have numerous horrific, disastrous consequences to wildlife, and, natural ecosystems in Ontario including, of course, the wholesale, sadistic, uncontrolled, impossible to monitor, slaughter of cormorants!

The Government says it is responding to concerns about too many cormorants, depleted fish stocks, and, environmental damage! But, those concerns are largely just anecdotes, complaints, and, unsubstantiated claims, that were debunked long ago!

In reality, cormorants are not overabundant, their numbers are relatively modest, have stabilized, and, are dropping in some areas! The entire North American double-crested cormorant population is estimated to be less than the population of Toronto, with only about 125,000 birds in the lower Great Lakes!

The Ontario governments proposal is NOT SCIENCE-BASED, OR, FACT-BASED! It is emotional, and, political, and, could result in wiping out cormorants in most of the province!