I am opposed to the proposal…

I am opposed to the proposal to list the Double-Crested Cormorant as a game bird and to open up a hunting season for this bird species.
I am appalled at the lack of scientific evidence from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources regarding the claims made in this proposal such as the lack of evidence as it relates to the depletion of fish. Fish species and information regarding the depletion of any specific fish species is not provided in this proposal. Further, the impact of commercial and recreational fishing, pollution has not been quantified or considered if, in fact, there is a decline in fish stocks. It is immediately obvious that this bird could not single handedly influence such as decline as to support your proposal. I suspect no work has been done by your Ministry to quantify or determine any relationship between fish stocks and the Double Crested Cormorant's numbers and foraging. There is no sufficient information contained in the proposal to support a cull of the Double Crested Cormorant and I am deeply concerned that the Ministry of Natural Resources proposal reflects a mismanagement of the Public Trust in this proposal. There is documented evidence that the Double Crested Cormorant has not reached it's former healthy numbers on the Great Lakes and that the proposed cull could easily eradicate the species from the Great Lakes in a single year. Please see: EBR Registration number: 013-4124 Edward Kroc, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Measurement Evaluation, and Research Methodology UBC "On the hunting of the Double-Crested Cormorant in Ontario: a scientifically baseless and environmentally naïve proposition. Lastly, the proposal is seriously flawed, barbaric, unethical, and cruel. I am immensely disappointed by this poorly researched and disturbing proposal. Once again, I suspect a bias towards satisfying the complaints of folks who may not appreciate this species vital niche in Ontario's ecosystem, as well as the blood sport interests of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. This proposal is similar to the Spring Bear Hunt in which the barbaric, cruel, and ill conceived change was made to allow the killing of a lactating mammal and leaving cubs to starvation and predation, promoted by OFAH as a good management practice. No where in the proposal regarding the Double-Crested Cormorant, is a unbiased body of information that highlights the importance of this species, such as providing habitat for other nesting birds such as Herons, and the creation of dead trees is of significance just as much as living trees are in ecosystems. Your Ministry wishes to expand opportunities for families to fish and yet blame has been put on the backs of the Double Crested Cormorant for and without evidence, depletion of fish stocks in the Great Lakes. I am disturbed that Ontario would showcase a direct irreverence and disregard for wildlife and the treatment thereof, by such a proposal.