Comments on EBR Registry…

Comments on EBR Registry number 013-4124: Proposal to establish a hunting season for double-crested cormorants in Ontario

I am strongly against the proposal to open a hunting season on Double-crested Cormorants in Ontario.

1. Allow hunting from a stationary motorboat.
• This is likely going to cause a lot of disturbance at the nest site, with non-target birds being affected too. Double-crested Cormorants have been shown to nest with American White Pelican, Black-crowned Night-heron, Great Blue Heron, Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Common Tern and Caspian Tern in Ontario (McLeod and Bondar 1953, Peck and James 1983, Thompson 1981). All of these species are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act (MBCA) (with the exception of American White Pelican which is only protected under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (FWCA)). Under the MBCA, these birds and their nests cannot be disturbed. The proposal would allow hunters to disturb other colonially nesting birds during their breeding season, which is against the law. The proposal does not mention how it will handle these situations. Furthermore, what would happen if a hunter accidentally kills one of the non-target species? Will they be charged under the MBCA?

2. Create an open hunting season for double-crested cormorant from March 15 to December 31 each year across the province.
• The proposed dates essentially constitute the entire time that Double-crested Cormorants spend in Ontario. In the winter months, the majority of them are known to leave the province to overwinter in Florida and the Gulf Coast (Sandilands, 2005). By opening such a long hunting season - especially during their nesting season - what type of protection will cormorants actually receive under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act? I would like to see some clarification on this. Is the proposal the first step in removing cormorants as a protected species under the act?

References
McCloud, J.A.., and G.F. Bondar. 1953. A brief study of the Double-crested Cormorant on Lake Winnipegosis.
Canadian Field Naturalist 67: 1-11.

Peck, G.K., and R.D. James. 1983. Breeding birds of Ontario: nidiology and distribution. Vol. 1: nonpasserines.
Life Sciences Miscellaneous Publications. Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum. 321 pp.

Sandilands, A.P. 2005. The birds of Ontario: habitat requirements, limiting factors and status for
Nonpasserines: waterfowl through cranes. 365 pp.

Thompson, L.S. 1981. Nest-tree sharing by herons and cormorants in Montana. Canadian Field-Naturalist 95:
257-60.