Cormorants-Private Members Bill
Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 4:00 pm
found this on realfising.com
Bill Would Allow Cormorant Hunting
A private member's bill that would permit hunting of double-crested cormorants in Ontario has drawn the fire of some conservation groups and the interest of Leeds-Grenville MP Bob Runciman, who has been calling for a local cull of the bird for a couple of years.
Bill 156, which passed first reading at the provincial legislature Oct. 30, is an amendment to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, which currently protects the fish-eating cormorant after it nearly died off as a result of pesticide use in the 1950s. But the bird population has increased steadily since the 1990s and Ernie Parsons, the Liberal MPP for Prince Edward Hastings, who sponsored the bill, said it's time to treat cormorants like other nuisance birds such as crows.
According to Parsons, fishing charters and tourist operators in his riding have suffered because fish are being depleted by the cormorants, which can each eat a pound of fish every day. Culling efforts to control the cormorant population at Presqu'ile, have failed and cormorant numbers are still growing. The cormorant population in Prince Edward-Hastings has grown from zero to about 75,000 birds.
Bill Would Allow Cormorant Hunting
A private member's bill that would permit hunting of double-crested cormorants in Ontario has drawn the fire of some conservation groups and the interest of Leeds-Grenville MP Bob Runciman, who has been calling for a local cull of the bird for a couple of years.
Bill 156, which passed first reading at the provincial legislature Oct. 30, is an amendment to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, which currently protects the fish-eating cormorant after it nearly died off as a result of pesticide use in the 1950s. But the bird population has increased steadily since the 1990s and Ernie Parsons, the Liberal MPP for Prince Edward Hastings, who sponsored the bill, said it's time to treat cormorants like other nuisance birds such as crows.
According to Parsons, fishing charters and tourist operators in his riding have suffered because fish are being depleted by the cormorants, which can each eat a pound of fish every day. Culling efforts to control the cormorant population at Presqu'ile, have failed and cormorant numbers are still growing. The cormorant population in Prince Edward-Hastings has grown from zero to about 75,000 birds.
Good Lord, don't tell me common sense has finally prevailed 
