Currently, there is a…

Numéro du REO

013-4124

Identifiant (ID) du commentaire

16051

Commentaire fait au nom

Individual

Statut du commentaire

Commentaire

Currently, there is a proposal before the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to create a hunting season for Double-crested Cormorants.

The OFNC is asking its members to take action by leaving a comment on the Ministry’s proposal page opposing the proposed hunt. This is time-sensitive, as the proposal closes to comments on January 3.

https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/013-4124

The proposal has serious flaws that would be detrimental to the ecosystem and would undermine responsible conservation practices. Neither the proposal not the conjecture of its proponents is supported by any scientific evidence.

The proposed hunting season is March 15 to December 31 – most of the year. This includes nesting season of both cormorants, and birds like gulls and herons, that often nest with them. This includes spring and fall migration and the entire summer – when almost all peaceful recreational activities around wetlands and waterways take place, including birding.

The birds are inedible, yet would be simultaneously classified as game and allowed to spoil. A single hunter would be able to shoot 50 birds per day, which equates to 14,600 birds over the entire 292-day hunting season. Anyone with a hunting licence could participate – there are no limits, which is simply not sustainable.

This isn’t a sustainable hunt for game meat; this is a legalized extermination of an ecologically important native species.