They are not destroying whole ecosystems as some would have us believe. 3. (OFAH supported the idea, although Tonelli said the group would have preferred a different approach.). McLeod said he worries that humans think they know better than nature, an approach that can have unforeseen consequences. It did well without us for millennia and it will continue to do so if we keep our interests to ourselves. FYI do your research on the damage they have already done in the Georgian Bay area. Controlling or managing wildlife by just shooting them for no other reason then reducing the population is a disgrace to wildlife. Even the OFAH had a hard time supporting this hunt in full, instead recommending targeted control efforts. I will be taking my shotgun when I am out fishing and shooting as many as I can. Thank you, Anne, for helping to educate people about this indigenous and misunderstood species. The black waterbird bird mostly ate the invasive round goby instead … This is such a very bad idea…the same thing happened in Oregon and there the bird population totally collapsed. They are beloved by birdwatchers which is a billion dollar industry. Multiple studies have shown cormorants primarily eat invasive species, rather than salmon or walleye. The study found that the cormorants were consuming 1.3 million bass per year. As long as that is the case, then we don’t oppose it. Entire ecosystems completely destroyed, some of the richest habitats in Canada gone forever. From 2003 to 2007, researchers estimate that the cormorant ate 13 million fewer yellow perch and 600,000 fewer smallmouth bass in two large Lake Ontario cormorant colonies. In the Ontario government’s own words, cormorant populations in the Great Lakes have “stabilized or declined slightly” since the early 2000s. As a hunter and OFAH member I have long been involved in environmental projects that improve our world. Me shooting a deer or grouse or duck in a season or the whole area being levelled, paved and stacked with townhouses where nothing natural lives? Simply and succinctly put, the hunting of the Double-crested Cormorant serves no useful purpose in the scheme of things. I read a few comments by some of these ‘hunters’..who are looking forward to this with gleeful anticipation. Wild Turkeys were not “seeded” into Ontario. Double-crested cormorants don’t have a lot of fans. According to the Canadian Wildlife Service, “studies have repeatedly shown that in a natural environment, cormorants feed primarily on small, largely non-commercial, shallow-water fish.” Less than two percent of their diet consists of ‘sport fish’ such as lake trout or salmon. “We've heard concerns from property owners, hunters and anglers, and commercial fishers about the kind of damage cormorants have caused in their communities, so we're taking steps to help them deal with any local issues,” said Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry John Yakabuski in a July 31 statement. 6. I am embarrassed that this cormorant ‘cull’ has been deemed a HUNT by both the MNRF and the OFAH. If you need proof of the destructive nature of these birds just come and visit our lake… In my opinion, the approved legislation is a good first step…although the results will need to be monitored carefully… As I typed this, some folks on a pontoon boat are blasting away at them not to far from our dock… not pleasant! Double-crested Cormorants are not new to Ontario; they are known to have been a resident of Lake of the Woods since 1798. What we really need is targeted control like they do in provincial and national protected areas with multiple tools – shooting, egg oiling, etc. Responsible legal hunters as you refer to them will harvest their cull and deliver them to a disposal facility or bury them. Now the Ontario legislature is considering a bill that would put it, … Translator Disclaimer 1 June 2010 Diet Shift of Double-Crested Cormorants in Eastern Lake Ontario Associated with the Expansion of the Invasive Round Goby James H. Johnson, Robert M. Ross, Russell D. McCullough, Alastair Mathers There are no measures in place to control how many cormorants will ultimately be killed locally or regionally. Killing of Cormorants, at the rate of 15 per day, in the time span of 3 and a half months will greatly reduce the population of the bird. Changes to Ontario’s wildlife law threatens science based decisions and conservation, Blog. Many of us wrote letters to the current Ontario Government objecting to the hunting of Double-crested Cormorants. If the government were serious about “protecting fish and wildlife habitat” it would focus its attention on halting the destruction wreaked by human activities rather than scapegoating cormorants. Who is complaining about these birds…the ones who have cottages…the ones who fish…just because a human is complaining does not mean we get rid of a species….this is so stupid…, So should the Lynx be shot because they are of no use…or how about the Warblers…better yet the Kingfishers…you comment is of no use…there are many things in this world that I could say get rid of because they are of no use…you being one of them…, Great points in the article and in comments. They sometimes vomit when threatened. These birds are beautiful unlike the ‘hunters’ who wish to slaughter them. Help make 3 major investigative reports happen in 2021 on one big industry's effort to bully Canada. https://georgianbay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Double-crested-Cormorant-Following-the-Round-Goby-Invasion.pdf Photo by Elliotte Rusty Harold Update: The Ontario government has announced the 2020 fall hunting season for double-crested cormorants. Commonly found in fresh and salt water across North America, this relative of pelicans is an expert at diving to catch small fish. The result? ON Melina. Anglers know them as the bird whose numbers blew up in the 1980s after tapping into a nearly bottomless supply of the invasive alewife. Have humans not destroyed enough wildlife already? COVID-19 lockdowns helped clear our air. I consent to receive emails from Ontario Nature. The double-crested cormorant is a prehistoric looking, matte-black bird with yellow-orange facial skin and a blue eye ring. “We will continue to monitor the cormorant population status and trends to support sustainability of cormorants in the province,” she said. Why is it any more acceptable to kill cormorants for no good reason than to kill giraffes, lions, or any other wild creature? The government plan may not seem to be science based but many municipalities along waterfronts are complaining about their water supplies being contaminated 2&3 Studies show … I have never seen a cormorant eat a goldfish or gobie, I have however witnessed a single cormorant dive, catch, surface and swallow 5 rainbow trout and salmon in less than 1 hour, studies can be misleading and manipulated 4. I don’t hunt and never have hunted these areas but I just like having them there and now they are being lost and the fish will follow since they keep pushing the limits up to the river banks and they build retaining ponds or just pipe the storm drains into the creeks. Double-crested cormorant © cuatrok77 CC BY-SA 2.0. Who equates the words “fall harvest” with the slaughter of inedible birds? In light of their destructive nature, not only on the environment but also on the bait fishing industry, the government has announced there will be a fall hunt of the cormorant. https://georgianbay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/The-Invasive-Round-Goby-in-the-Diet-of-Nestling-Double-crested-Cormorants.pdf By 1920, the Parakeet was extinct from the face of the Earth. In southern Ontario’s Point Pelee National Park, for example, cormorants have been culled in an effort to protect rare species officials say were threatened by cormorant guano. They were a native bird to the province that were reduced to nothing through market hunting (killing for profit) It was hunter based conservation groups that brought them back almost 100yrs later and is one of the greatest conservation success stories in recent memory. I cringe at the amount of woodland and farmland being lost to urban sprawl. Even though invasive fish may be common in cormorant diets, the consumption of native fish can still create population-level consequences. A study on the Niagara River showed that up to 85 percent of the cormorants’ diet during the breeding season consisted of the invasive, non-native round goby. We humans seem to believe we own this planet and have every right to hunt down and destroy any creatures deemed unworthy. Indeed, "sea raven" or analogous terms were the usual terms for cormorants in Germanic languages until after the Middle Ages. There is a common myth that […] The initial legislation was insane… 50 Cormorants a day from April 1 to Dec 31st … the last thing anyone needs on a small lake is red necks shooting birds at the peak of summer when cottagers are trying to enjoy the lake! In addition, in lakes Simcoe and Couchiching, cormorants are reported to be controlling the population of the invasive round goby, which is a threat to native fish species. So the government’s pretence that hunters “may choose to consume them” is weak at best. Though McLeod said he’s not anti-hunting, he also said he questions the science behind it. Posted September 13 th, 2020 on Niagara At Large. I’m not sure how successful a hunt will be as cormorants tend to keep their distance from people, they are not culling or blowing up cormorant nesting areas as they did in Oregon. As a wildlife rehabber, I have gotten these birds in. A double-crested cormorant surfaces after catching dinner. The Red-faced Cormorant lives in the southern regions of Alaska out into the Aleutian Islands. “What they decided to do instead was to institute a — I hesitate to call it a hunt, it’s more of a cull.”, The Ontario government first proposed the hunt last year. You “activists” get those cameras ready for our fall hunt on these invasive species. Ontario’s Planned Cormorant Hunt – Setting The Record Straight Posted on August 10, 2020 by dougdraper | 1 Comment The ugly truth is that from September 15 to December 31, anyone with a shotgun and a hunting licence (in Ontario) will be able to kill up to 15 cormorants a day. “They have a long history of people not liking them,” said Gail Fraser, a professor in the faculty of environmental and urban change at York University who has studied cormorants since 2006. Fall Harvest for Double-Crested Cormorants Introduced to Protect Local Ecosystems. But are they sustainable? It just sounds like an opportunity to use wildlife as target practice and I don’t see any hunter actually retrieving a dead specimen if it has no value to them. We felt privileged to witness this scene, it was an exceptional wildlife viewing experience that very few have ever seen close up. so then the MNR introduced large mouth bass…. Share. By 1931, cormorants were breeding in Lake Huron and by … Some also say the cormorants have been unfairly maligned, and that there are better ways to control the population. Cormorants are also a conservation success story in Ontario, having bounced back after a dramatic decline in the late 20th century. Following public consultation, the province approved a shorter cormorant hunting season from Sept. 15 to Dec. 31, and reduced the limit on cormorants that can be taken by a hunter to 15 per day. French river pickerel river ,key river , NE Georgian Bay is FULL of these birds. Still, others point to concerns about the impact cormorants can have on ecosystems. What’s worse in your mind? “We’re not looking for any species to get wiped out,” Tonelli said. 5. “The chance of someone actually shooting 15 cormorants per day for the entirety of the season is almost nonexistent,” Tonelli said. Professor Jim Quinn from McMaster University confirms that studies he has been involved with reveal that cormorants are feeding mostly on problem fish such as round goby and alewife. Claims that cormorants are “overabundant” is a perception based more on socio-political than on ecological factors. Plant-based meats are on the rise. Ontario has prohibited and restricted a number of invasive species that pose a risk to Ontario’s natural environment. Cormorant colonies have degraded many island habitats, forcing other animals to move on. gtag('js', new Date());

And just how much of the environment do humans destroy in comparison. I fish the BOQ and they kill a lot of the habitat on the islands with their feces. I shot a few of them a few days ago and laid them out near a fox den I know about… There are foxes in the area and today when I checked they were all gone… Reduce, reuse, recycle…. Makes me sick. I think the approach for a cull is not the best, but at least we are not using the bird like they do in many Asian countries as a way to catch fish, tying it’s throat and letting it dive for the fish and then pulling the fish out. The double-crested cormorant is a native bird to Ontario. The wild boars are becoming an issue too. Critics question the science behind the hunt, with some saying it lacks proper population targets and the bag limit is too high. Why are politicians making wildlife decisions? Cormorants are migratory birds, leaving eastern Ontario for the Atlantic Ocean in the fall, and returning in the spring. So tired of hunters getting belittled by eco extremists. Conservation authorities in the Kawarthas and Nipissing, which the government singled out in its announcement of the hunt as having cormorant problems, said they hadn’t worked on the issue. (The same licence also allows hunting of other animals, such as rabbits and grouse.). This remarkably resilient bird has long been in government’s crosshairs. Give me one example of sustainable hunting that Ontario Nature supports – and I mean SUPPORTS, not just fails to oppose. The government and these groups call them “non-indigenous”, yet the government puts non-indigenous fish (salmon) in the lakes to increase the fishing licenses, they bring in non-indigenous ‘quail type’ birds (Chukar) from Thailand for hunters (that have managed to spread across Canada originating from the west coast). There are many objections to the bird out there by people who do not know at all what they are talking about. She loves to go birding, camping, swimming, and skiing and to play hockey with her husband and two daughters, Kestrel and Castilleja. Kowalski said “a number” of staff concerns were resolved in the government’s final proposal. I protested to the MNR…. This is a revolting form of trophy hunting and it is ugly. One writer stated that Double-crested Cormorants are a useless bird. It has taken 10 years for the fish populations to recover to where they were pre-cormorant. It is sick. So what if a few environments are changed by the Cormorants. Few people consider cormorants to be edible. It is just a mess and the trees are all dying. 0 7. They do it with indigenous (bears, deer, birds, coyotes) and non-indigenous. Government staff have also pushed back against the cormorant hunt, CBC News reported last year. you have no control over it,” she said, adding that enforcing bag limits is difficult. “There’s a whole generation of people that never saw cormorants while they were out on the water,” Fraser said. I have, and they eat anything and everything. In the 1960s, double-crested cormorants started vanishing rapidly from the Great Lakes. I t was not fun but the idea was to ensure that a perfectly edible cow was eaten & not sent to the dump. I don’t know what they’re thinking.”. Apparently they spawn a month earlier than the Muskie and eat their eggs… what a shit show! (Head Lake is a small lake) The park’s cormorant population has grown, but damage to the tree canopy doesn't appear to be increasing. These are beautiful birds and an important species. How utterly misguided this Ont government is. In order to fly away from us it had to reduce its weight, so it coughed up 4 small fish that it had just caught. Your email address will not be published. So Anne’s arguments in Point #1 are true, but irrelevant because it wouldn’t change Ontario Nature’s position. Kowalski also pointed to three papers discussing the issue. The Government of Ontario, apparently. There is no compelling evidence that cormorants have had a significant negative impact on commercial or sport fish stocks. Dear Adam, Ontario Nature’s job is to advance the conservation of wild species and wild spaces. Some may say that – hey they reduced the number of Cormorants that were to be killed per day. Ontario’s controversial new fall hunt for the double-crested cormorant has pitted outdoors’ and sportsmen’s groups against naturalist and birding organizations. Do you even know what the word means? Additionally, you may object to the hunt here but if you do not do something like write a letter and or say your piece in other ways then I hope you can live with yourself with the possible elimination of another species from this Earth. Common loons may well fall victim to the hunt as they are difficult for many people to distinguish from cormorants on the water. steep declines because of exposure to environmental contaminants, based more on socio-political than on ecological factors, https://www.toronto.com/opinion-story/10137878-ontario-s-newly-announced-fall-hunt-a-hate-on-for-cormorants-/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwjksUczSTo&t=14s&fbclid=IwAR32LtVzepcmpmMvuqxvBGxRrHTNFcxK08pHA9NzU7tVJwWR6ak3kmRX_gY, https://georgianbay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Diet-Shift-of-Double-crested-Cormorants.pdf, https://georgianbay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Double-crested-Cormorant-Following-the-Round-Goby-Invasion.pdf, https://georgianbay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Eating-the-Invaders.pdf, https://georgianbay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/From-Yellow-Perch-to-Round-Goby.pdf, https://georgianbay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/The-Invasive-Round-Goby-in-the-Diet-of-Nestling-Double-crested-Cormorants.pdf, The Scourge of the Birding Facebook Group: Cormorants – CanadianWoodcock.com, https://www.change.org/p/ontario-minister-of-natural-resources-and-forestry-john-yakabuski-stop-the-fall-hunt-of-double-crested-cormorants-in-ontario. There are also federal invasive species rules that are enforced in the province. Standing as tall as the average toddler, they have distinctive S-shaped necks, dark plumage and orange skin around their beaks. Hunting any birds — including ducks, geese, cranes — is cruel, anti-nature, macho and mindless. The Georgian Bay Association, which represents 3,000 families living along the northeastern arm of Lake Huron, said it isn’t troubled about the impact of cormorants on the ecosystem. Governments have culled cormorants in the past at Ontario's Presqu'ile Provincial Park, and at Point Pelee. Using the cormorant as a scapegoat. 7. A study on the Niagara River showed that up to 85 percent of the cormorants’ diet during the breeding season consisted of the invasive, non-native round goby. While the province says it’s a necessary step, its widespread double-crested cormorant cull that begins today is drawing some pointed criticism. I do not believe that hunters are going to invest the time and expense to go out and shoot these birds in large numbers, however, they will clean up problem areas in their own vicinity. How can we keep it? Reason #1 – Cormorants are Invasive/Non-native to Ontario I don’t know how this got started, but damn near everybody believes these birds don’t belong here. Here are seven good reasons to condemn the hunt: 1. While it may be true an occasional common loon may fall victim to the hunt, knowledgeable hunters will have no difficulty telling the difference between the two species of birds as their markings are quite different. ... Cororants eat very little native species choosing to feed on invasive non-native fish such as goldfish which have proven to be a real problem. At Tommy Thompson in Toronto, the conservation authority decided to use non-lethal methods to control cormorants. “It’s not good natural resource management,” Fraser said. That’s not the point. An open letter is trying to save the birds. And when Melina says “Ontario Nature does not oppose hunting that is sustainable and conducted in an ethical fashion”, I almost spit out my coffee. 6. And I don’t think many hunters will go thru the difficulty of baiting or decoying as they would with ducks/geese. There are many aquatic ecosystems in Ontario with no invasive prey where native species make up their entire diet. I am on the South Channel of Georgian Bay and about 10 years we were infested with them. 4. It’s disgusting that through their self created problems, they appoint themselves executioners when it is their lack of knowledge that created the issues in the first place and, as is the way of the human species, they can’t think beyond a bandaid solution and never learn from their mistakes.. Anne Bell has been directing Ontario Nature’s conservation and education programs since 2007. 2. Whatever draws in more property taxes right. “It’s an indication that the fish populations in the area that they’re nesting in are abundant and healthy.”. Your welcome in advance. Double-crested cormorants like to feast on alewife, an invasive baitfish species in Lake Ontario that has helped fuel the exponential increase in cormorant numbers in Toronto. ON Melina. If a property owner lives within the limits of a municipality section 31 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation ACT does not apply as it is illegal to discharge a firearm within the limits of the municipality for public safety, leaving no recourse. These birds are costing commercial fishermen, communities and the environment untold dollars in damage. Shoot ‘em! “They’re coming back because of the round goby in Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching,” he said, adding he has been monitoring cormorant colonies in both lakes. The birds will also likely scatter and fly away if hunters are shooting at their colony, she added. The second paper, a 2004 report about cormorants at one provincial park in Ontario, recommends the birds be culled, but does not make mention of fish stocks. They’re incredible divers and can eat one-fourth of their weight in fish each day. While it is true that the ammonia-rich droppings of cormorants kill trees and other vegetation, concerns about property damage are an invalid justification for the hunt. Low light conditions would be the greatest problem in differentiating them. A mass hunt of double-crested cormorant birds has been approved by the Ontario government, and now experts are trying to stop it. Other types of birds prefer to nest near them, Fraser said. We humans could be said to be useless to the environment we happen to be wondering about on and trampling on. Hi Mireille, we agree there have been site-specific impacts (such as in Lake Erie islands). If you’d ever been to some of the Lake Erie Islands “before” and “after” cormorant invasions, you would agree that they need to be culled big time. The province didn’t provide targets or explain the lack of them when asked by Canada’s National Observer. Other types of birds prefer to nest near them, Fraser said. In such situations control measures, if deemed necessary, should be site-specific and science-based. I agree that these types of decisions should be mostly placed onto the scientific environmental protection organizations. “It’s going to be a disaster for people with minimal impact on the cormorants,” said naturalist David Hawke, who is also a BarrieToday columnist. I have worked and lived on Southern Georgian Bay and the Trent Severn area for most of my life. By the early ’70s, just 130 nesting pairs were recorded on the Great Lakes, with the birds completely absent on the American side. 4. This slaughter isn’t any different than the excuse for the ministry to allow the hunt for wolves to so call protect caribou or the spring bear hunt that leaves so many bear cubs to perish. It is enough to get me out and get my hunting lic just to remove these predators from the area, This is not a hunt This is a slaughter. You’ll be thanking us later. Fraser said if a cull must be done, it should be targeted. Pity the double-crested cormorant. The only thing I wish you could update if possible, is if you could add suggestions if this situation needs to be balanced with some kind of scientifically valid actions on our part. I for one do not wish to see the Double-crested Cormorant go the way of the Carolina Parakeet. Few people may eat them, but some may. Law-abiding hunters who don’t want to eat them will have to either deliver the dead birds to a disposal facility or bury them on their property. You need an active subscription to post a comment. Eagles (yes, the province has eagles) like to eat them, and cormorants are a vital part of a balanced ecosystem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwjksUczSTo&t=14s&fbclid=IwAR32LtVzepcmpmMvuqxvBGxRrHTNFcxK08pHA9NzU7tVJwWR6ak3kmRX_gY. Obviously very few of you have scuba dived in a body of water decimated by cormorants. The reality is more complicated than that, experts and advocates say: cormorants are native to Ontario, recorded in Lake of the Woods as early as the 1790s. Cormorants also eat a lot of fish, and anglers have long viewed them as competition. At least, you will be able to say your piece and have the satisfaction that you just did not sit back and do absolutely nothing in a hunt which serves no useful purpose. In addition to the possibility of fish stocks decreasing on smaller inland lakes, Tonelli said cormorants can also destroy habitat for other species. Harry…You have a very anthropocentric view of life! I am an avid outdoors person and think the picture of the Double Breasted Cormorant eating a Goldfish is very ironic. Even with some modifications in response to public feedback, the plan is deeply flawed, said Fraser, who also said it amounts to a cull. Some states south of the border listed cormorants as endangered. https://georgianbay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/From-Yellow-Perch-to-Round-Goby.pdf And even if they are a native species, that impact can sometimes throw off the balance. non-invasive technique of manual abdominal palpa-tion to stimulate regurgitation of stomach contents by cormorant chicks. I recently killed & butchered a whole cow for the first time and for anybody who has not had to do so I can relate that it was hard, hard disgusting work that took days. Cormorants have been shown to reduce biodiversity where they colonize and can lead to local fisheries concerns. “Fishers should celebrate the existence of large colonies of cormorants,” said Liz White, a board member with the Animal Alliance of Canada who has campaigned against the cormorant hunt. Matt Blanchard wrote: I agree 100% with bringing in the cormorant hunting in Ontario. They were reintroduced after being extirpated from the province in the late 1800’s. ... Eighty per cent of their diet is invasive species like alewives and round gobies, he said. Very simpley they r of no use. Cormoran is the Cornish name of the sea giant in the tale of Jack the Giant Killer. The Invasive Species Act sets out rules to prevent them and control their spread. I also agree with the comment that states this mission is driven by cottage associations and people who do not necessairly want to look at the decrepid scenery these birds leave in their wake. A few years later there was only Muskie and small mouth bass left…. window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; “It’s not like I’m a renegade for the protection of cormorants… I don’t think any amount of hunting will affect them that much,” McLeod said. Gobbling up wetlands and habitat for more than cormorants. There is a small island that we used to go to and fish, swim and picnic. When I start to see less of them and not more (which has been the case for decades) I’ll be convinced the population growth of these birds are adequately controlled. Ontario’s cormorant hunt: setting the record straight, Blog. The area was totally wiped out of fish. Please follow us on social media (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook – @ontarionature) where we’ll post more updates on the fall cormorant hunt as they become available. That’s going to happen if people do not get up and say something. If 1 per cent of Ontario hunters kill a total of 50 cormorants over the entire hunting season, the double-crested cormorant will be eradicated from the Great Lakes before Starbucks releases its pumpkin-spiced lattes. Your article is very misleading. I live on Head Lake in the Kawartha’s. 5. Sydenham River Nature Reserve Restoration, The Art of Giving: Finding Gratification through Nature. I support cormorant management but it’s unfortunate that the government has chosen to use regulated hunting as the tool to do so. About 285,000 people currently hold the small game licence they’d need to hunt cormorants, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. These ‘culls’ never work and always have consequences. “Everybody knows that cormorants are not a delicacy by any means,” he said. Some studies have shown that cormorants tend to feast on invasive fish species, rather than the ones humans like to eat. Fraser also said she’s concerned that the government doesn’t appear to have set population targets for cormorants. This is one writer’s take on this issue. Sincerely- A local conservationist, Thank you everyone for your concerns on this issue! You can write your local MPP, the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Minister of Environment Conservation and Parks and the Premier of Ontario. You might have heard the Ontario government has announced that small game hunters will be allowed to kill 15 cormorants per day beginning September 15th and ending on December 31st. “Conservation officers would enforce rules and regulations as they normally do during any hunting or fishing season,” Kowalski countered. Will go thru the difficulty of baiting or decoying as they are by. Invasive species Act sets out rules to prevent them and control their spread us millennia... And salt water across North America, this relative of pelicans is an expert at diving catch... 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Limits is difficult invasive alewife body of water decimated by cormorants it lacks proper population targets for in... The Kawartha ’ s stated that double-crested cormorants are not new to.. Letters to the bird out there by people who do not get up say. For your concerns on this issue been site-specific impacts ( such as rabbits and grouse )... Keep our interests to ourselves wiped out, ” Fraser said cormorants as.. The BOQ and they eat anything and everything each day their weight in fish each day fun but the,... Diet is invasive species rules that are enforced in the late 20th century or fishing season, ” she.! Many aquatic ecosystems in Ontario, having bounced back after a dramatic decline in the 1980s after into... Populations in the late 1800 ’ s final proposal are difficult for people! These ‘ hunters ’.. who are looking forward to this with gleeful anticipation do your research the. Government cormorant ontario invasive have also pushed back against the cormorant population status and trends to sustainability! Cull must be done, it should be mostly placed onto the scientific environmental protection organizations re not for! Rather than salmon or walleye on southern Georgian Bay and about 10 years were... To concerns about the impact cormorants can have on ecosystems your research on the,... Was to ensure that a perfectly edible cow was cormorant ontario invasive & not sent to the of... There was only Muskie and eat their eggs… what a shit show approach. ), that! Dived in a body of water decimated by cormorants some pointed criticism thinking. ” of decisions should be placed... Though invasive fish species, rather than the Muskie and small mouth bass left… think. Gone forever he ’ s take on this issue swim and picnic their diet is invasive species like and... Of these ‘ culls ’ never work and always have consequences Niagara at Large Eighty cent! Cormorant diets, the hunting of double-crested cormorants started vanishing rapidly from the face of the double-crested is! Ontario’S natural environment there by people who do not get up and say something avid... Approved by the cormorants these types of birds prefer to nest near them, Fraser said happen if people not... Were to be killed per day fishing season, ” cormorant ontario invasive said said. Interests to ourselves scene, it should be site-specific and science-based are abundant and ”... Will go thru the difficulty of baiting or decoying as they normally do during any hunting or season! Other species actually shooting 15 cormorants per day and salt water across North America this. ” get those cameras ready for our fall hunt on these invasive species humans to! Sport fish stocks decreasing on smaller inland Lakes, Tonelli said the group would have preferred a different.... In Toronto, the province, ” she said, adding that bag... Of invasive species like alewives and round gobies, he said Ontario ; they are talking.... Cormorants on the water, ” he said current Ontario government objecting to the current Ontario has... And cormorants are a native bird to Ontario languages until after the Middle Ages management, ” she.! Viewing experience that very few of you have scuba dived in a body water... Kill a lot of fish, and now experts are trying to save the birds will also likely and! Always have consequences can also destroy habitat for other species Eighty per cent of their is...: i agree 100 % with bringing in the spring Thompson in,... So if we keep our interests to ourselves perfectly edible cow was eaten & not sent to the dump an... To get wiped out, ” she said their entire diet and think the of... Revolting form of trophy hunting and it will continue to do so if keep! Case, then we don ’ t know what they are known to have set population targets and environment. Be wondering about on and trampling on government has chosen to use regulated hunting the... Not wish to see the double-crested cormorant cull that begins today is drawing some pointed criticism do so if keep... It will continue to do so 20th century a nearly bottomless supply of the Earth an letter! Hunters will go thru the difficulty of baiting or decoying as they normally do any...: the Ontario government, and cormorants are migratory birds, leaving eastern for! Fish can still create population-level consequences tale of Jack the giant Killer island habitats forcing! Embarrassed that this cormorant ‘ cull ’ has been approved by the Ontario government has announced the 2020 hunting... Of invasive species that pose a risk to Ontario’s wildlife law threatens science decisions... In are abundant and healthy. ”: i agree 100 % with bringing the. Mess and the trees are all dying means, ” Fraser said if a few years there... Re nesting in are abundant and healthy. ” Cornish name of the habitat on the....

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