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The Cormorant Issue:
The Council is greatly
concerned about the continued expansion of the cormorant population in
Eastern Georgian Bay, The North Channel and beyond into our inland
waters. Of greater concern are the known and likely impacts the birds
are having on the health and sustainability of fisheries and the
ecosystems that support them. The Council has identified three main
impacts associated with the continued expansion of the cormorant
population in Eastern Georgian Bay:
- Impact of Breeding Colonies
on Vegetation and Other Bird Species
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Cormorant breeding colonies
result in the ultimate destruction of most forms of vegetation at the
colony, due to the amounts of guano produced by the birds and the
birds habit of stripping leaves from nesting trees - this can be a
great concern where there are sensitive, unique or significant plant
communities
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the presence of cormorants
can reduce other colonial bird populations, such as terns, herons and
gulls, through competition for nest spaces and due to destruction of
vegetation and habitat essential to nesting
Impact of Breeding Colonies on
Localized Water Quality
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The large amounts of guano
produced at nesting colonies can have a serious negative impact on
local water quality in terms of nutrient enrichment leading to
nuisance algae. Cormorant carcasses and guano at colonies and numbers
of cormorants in feeding flocks can increase the risk of water borne
disease such as botulism and swimmer's itch. These impacts can be
serious for adjacent property owners.
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Cormorants are effective
bio-accumulators of toxic materials such as PCB's and mercury. Recent
study in eastern Lake Ontario has shown concentrations of such
materials in the soil of breeding colonies that exceed trigger limits
for US federal cleanup requirements. The concentration of such
material could have severe consequences for local ecosystems and the
people who depend on them.
Impact On Fish Populations and
Fisheries
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Cormorants are efficient and
opportunistic fish predators, consuming on average 1.25 lbs. of fish
per day. Current estimates of consumption in the North Channel, based
on numbers of cormorants, range from 8,244,013 lbs./yr. and 11,346,469
lbs./yr.* Cormorants consume whatever prey is most easily caught,
which is most often bait or forage fish species; however, in many
cases, gamefish are major part of the cormorant diet
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The negative effect of
cormorant predation on game fish populations in small inland lakes is
well supported and documented, as is the impact on commercial fish
farming and public re-stocking operations.
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Anecdotal evidence of gamefish
predation by cormorants, witnessed by stakeholders through examination
of the disgorged stomach contents of cormorants taking flight, is well
known.
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The degree of predation
described in the points above make a strong "prima fascia" argument to
support the opinion of many stakeholders that there is a direct
co-relation between the well documented decline in gamefish
populations in Eastern Georgian Bay and the increase in cormorant
numbers
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The relationship between open
water forage fish populations and cormorant predation is unlikely to
be quantified without significant research effort, due to the vast
sizes of the study area and the open and transient nature of both
predator and prey populations. It is therefore unlikely that the true
impact of cormorants on the open water fisheries of Eastern Georgian
Bay will be known in the near future
The Council feels that in
light of the impacts described above, there is strong evidence to
suggest the consideration of cormorant control in Eastern Georgian Bay.
* United Fish and Game Clubs of Manitoulin, based on 1997
MNR data
Recent Development Regarding the Control
of Cormorants in Eastern Georgian Bay/North Channel and the Great Lakes
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The OMNR is currently in year 3
of a multi-year study to quantify impacts and determine if and how
controls should be implemented
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OMNR has not been clear and
forthcoming with the public regarding the objectives of the study, the
nature of the research and timetables regarding experimental controls
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Stakeholders, including The
First Nations People, Commercial interests, Sport Fishermen, and
Cottage Associations, are growing increasingly frustrated with OMNR
and what appears to be a lack of action to control an obvious growing
problem. Other groups, such as the Ontario Federation of Anglers and
Hunters (OFAH) and the United Fish and Game Clubs of Manitoulin
continue to pressure the OMNR and The Minister, the Hon. John Snobelen,
to take action
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OMNR recently announced that
experimental controls would be undertaken in three areas of the
Province this year, two of which are in eastern Georgian Bay. Ministry
staff will be oiling cormorant eggs and determining if there if such
controls have a positive effect on fish populations. Stakeholder
groups feel the control measures are too limited and do not go far
enough to control the bird's numbers. The OFAH, for example, has
denounced the plan as being "virtually ineffective".
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service has recently released a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for public review that will guide development of a nationwide
management strategy for double-crested cormorants. The EIS analyzes
various options for managing rapidly growing cormorant populations to
reduce conflicts with recreational anglers, commercial aquaculture and
other human activities.
The Council's Position re: Cormorants
Considering all of the
forgoing, the Council recognizes the role the cormorant plays in the
ecosystem of Eastern Georgian Bay and the necessity of maintaining
healthy cormorant populations. The Council also feels that current
growth of the cormorant population threatens many specific terrestrial
and aquatic communities and the people that depend on them.
As a result, the Council recommends that the OMNR
immediately undertake, or sanction selective cormorant controls on
public and private lands and waters where there is reasonable evidence
that double-crested cormorant populations are having a negative impact
on ecosystems and public resources. In addition, our Provincial and
Federal governments should re-classify the cormorant similar to the
common crow, thereby increasing total mortality through hunting with the
aim of stabilizing cormorant population growth. Our government should
remain responsible for monitoring the cormorant population to ensure its
health and sustainability. The study and management of cormorant
populations in the Great Lakes basin should be undertaken in concert
with American Federal and State agencies.
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