I live in Ottawa on the…

I live in Ottawa on the Ottawa river near Fitzroy Harbour.

I read with interest the article written by Michael Runtz (noted wildlife expert) in this week's Arnprior Chronicle, and I also reviewed the Ontario Government proposal (notice 013-4124) on-line to confirm Michael's assessment of what I believe should be referred to accurately as the mass cormorant slaughter of 2019.

Let me say first that I dislike cormorants; they are too plentiful; destructive to game fish stocks and certain island and shore properties and I can understand why action is proposed to decrease their numbers..........BUT

This proposal would allow mass slaughter from March to December for each hunter up to 50 birds a day. It would allow shotgun hunting from stationary boats, with no requirement to retrieve the injured or dead birds from the water. So, it is easy to picture rotten, stinking cormorant corpses floating down the river and up on our shores. Imagine the perennial sound and danger of gunfire throughout the summer as hunters, and no doubt others in their boats, fire off shotguns at whatever flies, claiming they thought it was a cormorant. I pity the loon population, for example, which looks quite similar to a cormorant, especially when in flight. Worse than that, imagine buckshot raining down on the water, into boats, canoes, paddlers or swimmers all just trying to enjoy the peace and tranquility of a nice day on our lakes and rivers with their families and friends.

This proposed cormorant slaughter is inhumane, obnoxious and dangerous and cannot be allowed to proceed as proposed. What is probably required is a targeted controlled cull, with proper removal of corpses, not a free-for-all mass slaughter left to rot.

I listened to the Minister on CBC today at noon and he stated that there must be proper disposal, yet the proposal itself alludes to doing away with this requirement...which is it?

Also, the Minister stated that this was an inexpensive way of remedying the problem....what other methods were considered and has the department factored in any additional resources for conservation officers and OPP to handle violation complaints?

I believe this proposal should be abolished. At a minimum, i think the proposal should be reissued, stating clearly what the appropriate collection and disposal methods must be; and what other options were considered and discounted and why.

I would appreciate a reply to this e-mail to know it as been received and considered.

Thank you