CORMORANTS!!

Share info on fishing Champlain.
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fishy1
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Re: CORMORANTS!!

Post by fishy1 »

i have posted these pics on all the fishing forums on facebook and they are all over nearby ponds lakes and a ton on champlain. dont know here fish and wildlife got their figures but i dont think they were even close.
Maddog
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Re: CORMORANTS!!

Post by Maddog »

Ontario's proposed hunting season would allow each hunter to kill 14,000 cormorants in a year. Looks like they have the same problem as Lake Champlain. Please see the attached article.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -smL54hWnc
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Windknot
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Re: CORMORANTS!!

Post by Windknot »

Here's an additional article on the subject. Let's hope NY and VT can put together a similar plan for Lake Champlain!

https://www.ofah.org/issues/cormorants/ ... QNWHII0v-Q
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USFWS Lamprey Guy
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Re: CORMORANTS!!

Post by USFWS Lamprey Guy »

I'm sharing this to the "Cormorants!!" thread as the obvious location where it fits. I was in a meeting today where I learned that the "PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD" for the newly proposed "Management of Conflicts Associated with Double-Crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) Throughout the United States" is currently open. While these announcements are not hidden, they are often difficult to widely distribute to the public. This may not have been noticed by many. Now that I am aware, I wanted to share this with the LCU community and make others aware. I know this is an issue of great interest to many. You can make your voice heard to those involved in the management of cormorants by responding at the link below. To be clear - DO NOT leave your comments here on the forum if you wish them to be read and considered. You must go to this link and follow the directions provided to officially submit your comments on the proposed action. The deadline for submitting comments is July 20th, 2020.
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D= ... -0103-1411
~Brad Young~
Gecha (Gerry)
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Re: CORMORANTS!!

Post by Gecha (Gerry) »

Thanks a lot Brad for this very important information.
We hope many of us will take this opportunity to send their comments and concerns to the link provided.
Gecha (Gerry North of the Border)
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Captain Paul
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Re: CORMORANTS!!

Post by Captain Paul »

We need to all get our comments in now on Double Crested Cormorant spread the word. Remember the squeaky wheel gets the grease
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Windknot
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Re: CORMORANTS!!

Post by Windknot »

Looks like the Province of Ontario is stepping up the war on Cormorants. Let's hope New York and Vermont can make it happen too:
https://fishncanada.com/news/ontario-mi ... ZsT859Qnys
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Wallyandre (Andre)
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Re: CORMORANTS!!

Post by Wallyandre (Andre) »

NEWS
Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry


Ontario Taking Steps to Protect Fish and Wildlife Habitat
Fall Harvest for Double-Crested Cormorants Introduced to Protect Local Ecosystems
July 31, 2020 11:15 A.M.

FENELON FALLS - The Ontario government is taking steps to protect fish stocks and natural habitat from the harmful impacts of double-crested cormorants by introducing a fall harvest for the species. The harvest will help address concerns about impacts to local ecosystems by cormorants, a bird that preys on fish, eating a pound a day, and that can damage trees in which they nest and roost.
The announcement was made today by John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.
"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 Yakabuski. "In large amounts, cormorant droppings can kill trees and other vegetation and destroy traditional nesting habitats for some other colonial waterbirds, so it's critical that we take action to strike a healthy balance in local ecosystems."
Following public consultations, the province has made changes to its initial proposal and has decided to introduce a hunting season that will run annually from September 15 to December 31, starting in 2020.
"We listened to those who provided comments about the cormorant hunting proposal, and as a result, we are introducing only a fall hunting season to avoid interfering with recreational users of waterways and nesting periods for some migratory birds," said Minister Yakabuski. "We have also reduced the maximum number of cormorants a hunter can take to 15 a day, which is a similar limit to one for federally regulated migratory game birds such as mourning doves, Snow and Ross's Geese, Rails, coot and Gallinules."
In 2019, the ministry and partner agencies surveyed cormorant colonies across the Great Lakes and select inland lakes in Ontario. Based on nest count surveys, there are an estimated minimum of 143,000 breeding cormorants in 344 colonies across the province. Combined with historical data, trends suggest that cormorant populations are increasing in Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and Lake Superior and are stable on the St. Lawrence River and Lake Huron.
"Growing up in North Bay and spending many summers fishing on Lake Nipissing, I have seen firsthand the issues that cormorants have caused in some local areas," said Mike Harris, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. "A new fall hunting season will help communities manage cormorant populations where they have negatively impacted natural habitat and other waterbird species."
"Cormorants have been a growing problem on Sturgeon Lake and Balsam Lake, where they have covered islands with their guano, killing trees and vegetation," said Laurie Scott, MPP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock. "We're listening to local residents who have voiced their concerns and asked for additional tools to address the issue."
Ontario has a healthy and sustainable cormorant population. We will continue to monitor the cormorant population status and trends to support sustainability of cormorants in the province.

QUOTES
" Our group fully supports a fall hunting season for double-crested cormorants. For the past decade, we have observed the destruction of Muskrat Island, which is clearly visible from our shoreline on Sturgeon Lake. The rapid population explosion of the colony has put extreme stress on our fish population. The birds have a voracious appetite, and trees and vegetation on the island have been destroyed by their toxic guano. Other species have also been driven from the island. In our view, this is a very serious problem that has required a response."
- Bob Stewart
Director, Stinson’s Bay Property Owners Association
" The Ontario Commercial Fisheries’ Association is concerned about the significant negative impacts of uncontrolled populations of cormorants on the ecosystem, including the commercial fishery. In addition to the serious destruction of vegetation that unchecked populations of cormorants have caused, cormorants have seriously undermined certain fish stocks on the Great Lakes. Each cormorant eats approximately one pound of fish, per day. We strongly support the government’s decision to introduce a fall hunting season, which will help to control damaging cormorant populations. Our position has not been to seek the extinction of cormorants from Ontario but for the management of cormorants to promote a balanced ecosystem, which is in the best interests for all Ontarians."
- Jane Graham
Executive Director, Ontario Commercial Fisheries’ Association
" We are pleased to see a provincial government finally take action to control overabundant cormorant populations to help protect Ontario’s ecosystems, and we are encouraged to see that the MNRF has made adjustments to the original proposal in response to concerns expressed by the OFAH and others."
- Angelo Lombardo
Executive Director, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters
" The Northwestern Ontario Sportsmen’s Alliance fully supports Minister John Yakabuski as he introduces regulations under the FWCA allowing a fall hunting season for cormorants in Ontario. This hunting regulation will assist in preventing a variety of destructive ecological impacts resulting from over abundant cormorant populations in Ontario. The protection of healthy and sustainable fish populations is just one of the many tangible benefits that this hunting regulation will offer and we applaud Minister Yakabuski for his action in this regard."
- John Kaplanis
Executive Director, Northwestern Ontario Sportsmen’s Alliance
" As Delta Waterfowl is actively involved in wildlife management for waterfowl habitat and populations, we fully support the government’s efforts to manage cormorant populations in Ontario. This approach using hunters to manage populations is a common practice in wildlife management and similar to the approach in New Brunswick where cormorants are managed as unprotected wildlife similar to crows, starlings and other species."
- Scott Petrie
Chief Executive Officer, Delta Waterfowl

QUICK FACTS
• Double-crested cormorants are fish-eating birds, usually eating easy-to-catch fish species. They nest on the ground or in trees on islands and peninsulas.
• In large amounts, cormorant droppings, called guano, can kill trees and other vegetation and destroy traditional nesting habitats for some other colonial waterbirds.
• Competition between cormorants and some colonial nesting waterbirds has been well documented, including the displacement of some other species by cormorants.
• Hunters are responsible for appropriately identifying their target and ensuring they are harvesting only double-crested cormorants.
• While some hunters may choose to consume cormorants, those who choose not to consume the cormorants they harvest must retrieve the birds and dispose of them properly.

LEARN MORE
• Find out more about hunting in Ontario.
• Find out more about the fall cormorant hunt in Ontario.

Media Desk Communications Services Branch
MediaDesk.MNRF@ontario.ca
416-314-2106
Ryan Ferizovic Minister’s Office
ryan.ferizovic@ontario.ca
Available Online
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JTM203SOUTH
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Re: CORMORANTS!!

Post by JTM203SOUTH »

Three cheers for the Province of Ontario !!! A GREAT first step.
1999 Starcraft Superfisherman 196 "High Hopes "
1996 Starcraft Superfisherman 170 " High Hopes Too"
Kattywampus
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Re: CORMORANTS!!

Post by Kattywampus »

I’ve seen these for years but not in the numbers I’ve seen this year. Just this past Monday there were easily over a thousand together in the water just north of Sunset Island.
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