I have read and understood…

I have read and understood the proposal summary, proposed details, and regulatory impact assessment. I am currently enrolled in the Fish and Wildlife Technology program at Fleming College in Lindsay and have been a member of the naturalist community in Ontario all of my life. I believe my opinion is valuable and should be heard. The proposed cormorant hunt for Ontario is a joke based on a lack of research and a few angry people who aren't used to seeing numbers of cormorants on small lakes.
The Double-crested Cormorant is the most widespread cormorant in all of North America and has caused no issues anywhere in its range. So why hunt it? Because the cormorant was once a species nearly wiped out in Canada due to DDT and is now making a comeback back to its original population size. People are seeing an increase in population size and want to manage it even though they are returning to the places that they once were.
Cormorants are beneficial to the ecosystem as they control invasive fish species in our lakes such as the Round Goby, Goldfish, and Common Carp. They also provide food to the Bald Eagle, a bird that is also increasing in numbers but no one would dare to shoot them as they are "pretty". Double-crested Cormorants also rarely catch mature game fish.
Cormorants destroy trees to make nesting colonies which may look ugly but we have to remember that these dead trees provide habitat for Great Blue Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons, Great Egrets, Tree Swallows, Chimney Swifts, all woodpeckers species including the Red-headed Woodpecker, and American White Pelican. The last two species are both species at risk and are protected by the Fish & Wildlife Act.

It's ridiculous that a hunt like this was ever proposed. I have convinced many hunters who are supportive of the hunt to change their opinion and I will continue to do so if this proposal becomes a reality.

You think humanity would've learned from the Passenger Pigeon, Great Auk, or Yellow-breasted Bunting. I guess when we see a species doing well we feel threatened.