I am not in support of…

I am not in support of listing the birds as game. Doing so ignores long-term environmental protection and evolution, as these cormorants are a native species to the region, which migrated to the Great Lakes via natural/climatic conditions. The perceived boom in population is because of the impacts these birds have on the recreational fisheries. This is not cause to kill any species. Dismantling the natural ecosystem of the lakes we call home is detrimental to our larger-scale economy, human well-being, and environmental health. Further, bald eagles are finally becoming established in the Great Lakes once again- after many years of DDT recovery. This an environmental success! There are some finer details about this success that are directly applicable to this case. Bald eagles are top predators. A strong base of prey, of which is mostly fish, is required for bald eagles to thrive. I know many places where cormorants and eagles co-exist, indicating that cormorants are indeed not deteriorating the fishery base of ecosystems is such as strong fashion as suggested by this proposal.

Historically, this same idea was completed with common loons in Ontario, our provincial bird. It was thought that fisheries were suffering form natural loon populations, and a cull was completed. Loon populations have suffered ever since, especially combined with cumulative anthropocentric impacts, such as lead poisoning. Fisheries did not change during or after the cull, though loons have.

Scientists have long bellowed that we should not stop natural progressions of biotic and abiotic change. These are important to facilitate future mitigation and adaptation to other environmental stressors, like pollution or warming or cooling. By further directing nature by shooting and killing, we are introducing more contaminates into the environment that pose an even greater risk to the environment. An open season on waterbirds through most of the open-water stage will introduce ammunition to the system. Heavy metals like lead, tungsten, zinc can enter solution and bioaccumulate, harming the entire ecosystem, target and non-target species alike. Ammunition shells and pellets will also accumulate and pose an environmental risk for animal species, pets, and humans alike. If there is open shooting on a lake, I for one am not risking my life for a walk along the shore. Clearly this is unacceptable.

An ecosystems approach must be undertaken rather than an economic, both words of which come from the same root- not so disconnected as it seems to be currently. It is lost on me why, in 2019, we are concerned about killing a native species to our region, while ignoring the invasive species we brought here that is realistically, measurably, and rapidly changing the environment and our resources in unnatural ways. Round gobies feed on native fish eggs, carp pollute water bodies, Phragmites are shrinking our wetlands. These three are clear examples of truer, unnatural threats to our native fisheries that will continue to diminish the resources, no matter how much we commit blood-lust on our native species. I am not in support of listing cormorants as game.