The recent proposal for a…

The recent proposal for a cormorant cull is, in my opinion, unjustified and unscientific. The proposal did not produce any scientific evidence backing up claims that there is an overpopulation of these birds nor supporting data of the so called damage they create. These birds are native to Ontario and part of a balanced ecosystem. The hunting proposal of 50 birds per hunter is extremely excessive under any circumstance and problematic. These birds are not edible and the hunt then just becomes a cull by private citizens. Further, the disruption to nesting areas that are shared with other birds will cause damage to other species. The retrieval of dead birds is another problem with the proposal, realistically there would be many birds left in places where they could not be picked up as well as the loss of chicks in their nests that die after one or both parents are killed.
This type of wholesale hunting should not be taking place in this day and age. There are other, non-lethal ways to reduce the population if it was scientifically proven to be actually necessary. I am strongly opposed to the cormorant hunting proposal as it stands.