I think this proposal is a…

I think this proposal is a bad idea for the following reasons:

1. There is apparently good evidence that cormorant populations are stabilizing or even beginning to decline, therefore there should be no argument for overpopulation. At any rate, nature has ways of controlling wildlife populations without the need for human intervention.

2. Despite what some people say, there is little evidence that cormorants are consuming large quantities of commercial or game fish species, so that argument also is groundless.

3. It is ridiculous to call cormorants a game bird if nobody eats them and there is no sport in hunting them.

4. A bag limit of 50 birds per person per day, and allowing the birds to be shot while on the breeding grounds is unprecedented. Though it is a strong word, the only one that I think describes this is "slaughter." Especially considering the birds are likely to be left behind to rot if no one eats them (and who is going to load their boat with 50 or more birds to take home). This type of hunting has not occurred since the passenger pigeons were hunted to extinction. Not to say that extinction will be the end result, but the public perception will be bad.

5. The public perception will reflect poorly on hunters and hunting as a whole. Currently, even those who are against hunting can acknowledge that there is some sport to it. But there is no sport in the proposed hunting of cormorants. The public will also not take kindly to the idea of young birds being left to starve in the nests after their parents have been shot right in front of them, or that bodies of dead birds will invariably be left to rot.

6. Most of the big cormorant colonies are in protected areas where no hunting is allowed. Therefore as a means of population control the hunt will be a failure. Indeed this completely falsifies the main argument for what is essentially a "cull" disguised as game hunting.

I urge the province (MNRF) and the OFAH to think carefully about these points. This will backfire and give both a bad reputation.