This move is a response to…

This move is a response to lobbying by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH), who must now abandon any pretense that hunting isn’t cruel and wasteful. “Hunting” has to be redefined, literally, with the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act being amended so hunters can allow the meat of “game” to spoil. The birds are easily shot and highly vulnerable. There is no “fair chase” or “sustainable use” involved.
A search of peer-reviewed scientific literature by ornithologists debunked the belief that fish consumed by cormorants would otherwise be available to commercial and sport fishing interests.

“Hunting” -The term has shifted to simply mean killing. The fact that cormorant guano, rich in nutriments, can kill off trees, plus the absurd belief that fish eaten by cormorants would otherwise wind up on hooks, in nets and creels, or glued to wooden plaques hung on walls, is all the excuses needed. This will end with killing of loons and other birds that dare to eat fish and are easily mistaken for cormorants.

Cormorant Hunt Is the Single Worst Wild Game Management Decision in Canadian History.