Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to submit a comment with respect to the EBR 013-4124. Firstly, this inhumane proposal is unsupported in both scientific evidence and methodology for the conclusions by which the government carries as reasons to open a hunting season on the Double-crested cormorants (cormorants). Recreational fishing which brings in over 2.2 billion (media MNRF release) in revenue to Ontario does not indicate a decline in fishing opportunities. The government also halted any fishing license fee increase for recreational users to encourage more sport fishing. As for commercial aquatic populations in decline or instability, other factors such as pollution, toxic dumping, over-harvesting by consumptive sectors such as commercial/sport fishing play a significant role in populations, not the cormorants. If fish stocks are in decline, one would think the MNRF would just ban fishing sports. One can appreciate how ridiculous this angle is.

Based on the simple math of one hunter per hundred killing 50 cormorants per season as suggested in the proposal "bag limit', the population in the Great Lakes could be exterminated during the first year. The regulation manipulation to allow for spoilage of rotting cormorant carcasses flies in the face of ethics, conservation and healthy biodiversity. Attracting other wildlife species, the spread of disease to other nesting species (that occur naturally) in the cormorant colonies and the use of lead ammunition is a disgrace. There can be no responsible monitoring of all of these colony kill sites by MNRF personnel, as boats will be used to access remote colonies to shoot nesting and fledgling birds and staffing is a deficit.

The Double-crested cormorant is a native species to North America including our very own Great Lakes. To consider any hunting season at all of a species that has been historically persecuted by humans is short on science and long on a legacy of our government bending under pressure to lobby groups that hunt and fish. This soft sell of all of the reasons these magnificent birds must be managed through aggressive and inhumane slaughter wreaks of a hunt/fish propaganda campaign. It has been stated by hunting groups that they will shoot cormorants, use wires to attach the bodies to bricks and toss them in the water. Does this sound ethical? Does this sound humane? Does this sound sane?

This proposal is nothing but a smoke screen to provide an avenue for 'hunters' to kill with special consideration and access to Ontario's wildlife. There are many residents and tourists that enjoy the biodiversity that Ontario showcases, including the cormorant. Stop scapegoating wildlife, show integrity, courage and make the decision not to go through with this archaic, barbaric and scientifically challenged proposal. The science is not there to justify this proposal and our government's public trust is truly at stake.