Ontario’s decision for the province-wide cull of Double-crested Cormorants

Abstract

La décision de l'Ontario quant à l'abattage des Cormorans à aigrettes à la grandeur de la province

Reconstructing Long-Term Changes in Avian Populations Using Lake Sediments: Opening a Window Onto the Past

“…Because of this rapid growth and lack of pre-decline monitoring, cormorants were blamed for negatively impacting sport fishing and destroying natural habitats. Government programs aimed at reducing the cormorant populations (e.g., culling, extended hunting programs) were instigated in 2020 (Hobson, 2021). However, without long-term monitoring data, the question remained: What is "normal"?…”

A fisheries take on the fishy decision to implement a Double-crested Cormorant cull in Ontario

“…A recent comprehensive meta-analysis failed to detect a statistically significant effect of cormorants (of all species) on (marine and freshwater) fish populations (Ovegård et al 2021). As pointed out by Hobson (2021), it is entirely possible for there to be very localized issues, e.g., in a given embayment or a small lake, at fish farms (see Ovegård et al 2021) where predation could be at a level that conflicts with achieving fisheries management objectives. In such cases there MAY be reason to engage in some local culling or hazing but such measures should be applied in a tactical manner, not applied at a provincial (or state) scale as has occurred with the Ontario province-wide cormorant cull.…”

“…I thoroughly enjoyed reading the candid editorial by Keith Hobson (Hobson 2021) where he thoughtfully explored the misguided genesis of the province-wide Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) cull instituted in Ontario, Canada, in 2020. The editorial was aptly published in an avian conservation journal and was authored by an expert in avian ecology.…”

On the lack of scientific evidence for the Ontario cormorant cull and other cormorant management actions: a response to Dorr et al. (2022)

“…In their recent essay in Avian Conservation and Ecology, were compelled to clear up apparent misunderstandings they felt were perpetrated by the separate editorials of Hobson (2021) and Cooke (2021) dealing specifically with the Ontario government's decision to allow a province-wide public cull of Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritum) in response to perceived conflicts with fisheries, conservation objectives, and human recreation. They claim to have addressed "misconceptions about cormorant and fishery interactions, summarize the current state of knowledge on the issue, and discuss a different approach based on collective experience in the United States."…”

“…Moreover, we never labeled cormorant management universally as "persecution." Indeed, Hobson (2021) devoted considerable summary background on the myriad of environmental issues involved in the health of the Great Lakes that obscures any direct linkage between cormorants and fisheries in this region. The obvious take-home message from the Hobson (2021) and Cooke (2021) essays was how complex these natural systems are and how such complexity has hitherto been ignored by public advocates for cormorant control, governments, and several fisheries biologists.…”