On a recent visit to the…

On a recent visit to the museum I had the opportunity to reflect on the fate of the passenger pigeon and Eskimo curlew, species now extinct due to over hunting. Once considered abundant and a nuisance, they now longer are, they simply no longer exist.

In the past I have thought of cormorants as nuisance birds, observing the foliage and vegetation on the island across from Southampton as it disappeared under the colonization of the birds.

I am curious about the science and studies related to cormorant populations. I wonder if population studies have been conducted. I wonder what the tipping points are within various ecosystems for damage and habitat loss caused by the birds. I wonder what the research indicates, but am concerned as this proposal does not seem based on measured scientific outcomes.

I am shocked by the proposed hunt. I am shocked by the number of birds each hunter would be permitted to kill on a daily basis. As presented, the intent of this hunt seems to be a complete extirpation of cormorants in Ontario. I find this strongly repulsive.

I understand and appreciate that may be a need for population management and control. I also appreciate that calculating an appropriate balance within ecosystems is a delicate challenge and that this balance may be different between various ecosystems in the province. I do not think that the proposed legislation reflects careful consideration of the interconnectedness of ecosystem populations.

I do not want to see cormorant populations hunted to extirpation, or near extirpation in our province. I think population control should be managed by professional biologists on a site specific basis, using techniques like egg oiling or nest disruption.