Double-crested cormorant
If you're a waterfowl hunter, you know them well. In the distance they fly just like a flock of geese and it takes a careful eye to figure out "oh crap, it's just cormorants."
Fifteen or 20 years ago they were a rare and novel sight. Nowadays area waterways are covered with cormorants, especially as they migrate during the winter just like real waterfowl.
They've become so numerous that they're causing problems, espcially to commercial fish-growing operations. Hence, the USFWS has been studying ways to keep them in check. They are very close to final decision-making time and you've got one last chance to comment. Here's what the USFWS has to say:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the management of double-crested cormorants in the United States. The document analyzes various options for managing rapidly growing cormorant populations to reduce resource conflicts.
Cormorants have been documented to have negative impacts on resources such as commercial aquaculture, recreational fisheries, vegetation, and the habitat of other colonially-nesting birds. The preferred alternative in this EIS will give local authorities a more active
role in double-crested cormorant management. Next week, the Environmental Protection Agency will publish a mandatory notice in the Federal Register, marking the beginning of a 30-day comment period on the EIS. After this period, the Service will publish a final rule and record of decision.
The EIS evaluates six management alternatives including continuing
current management practices, implementing only non-lethal management techniques, issuing depredation permits with more flexible criteria, issuing a "public resource depredation order" to address public resource conflicts, reducing regional cormorant populations, and establishing
frameworks for a cormorant hunting season. The Service believes a "public
resource depredation order" will be the most effective alternative.
"Since populations are increasing and cormorants have been shown to
cause localized impacts to natural and economic resources, we believe local management is the best approach to reduce conflicts," said Service Director Steve Williams.
Under the EIS's preferred alternative, a new "public resource
depredation order" will authorize States, Tribes, and U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Wildlife Services to manage and control double-crested
cormorants to protect public resources (fish, wildlife, plants, and
habitats). The order applies to 24 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan,
Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin).
Agencies acting under the order must have landowner permission, may not
adversely affect other migratory bird species or threatened and endangered
species and must satisfy annual reporting and evaluation requirements. The Service will ensure the long-term conservation of cormorant populations through annual assessments of agency reports and through regular population monitoring.
In 1998, the Service issued an aquaculture depredation order
authorizing commercial freshwater aquaculture producers in 13 States
(Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota,
Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas) to shoot double-crested cormorants without a federal depredation permit when the birds were found committing or about to commit depredations to aquaculture stocks. Under the EIS's preferred alternative, the Service will modify the aquaculture depredation order to allow control of cormorants at winter roosts near fish farms and to allow fish hatcheries to protect their stock from cormorant predation.
Cormorants have been federally protected under the Migratory Bird
Treaty Act since 1972 after their populations dropped precipitously due to factors such as the use of the pesticide DDT. Today, the population is at historic highs in many areas due in large part to the presence of ample food in their summer and winter ranges, federal and state protection, and reduced contaminant levels. The total estimated population of double-crested cormorants in North America is approximately 2 million birds.
Requests for copies of, or comments on, the EIS may be mailed to the
Division of Migratory Bird Management, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MBSP-4107, Arlington, Virginia 22203. In addition, comments/requests may be submitted by email to: cormorants@fws.gov, or via fax at 703/358-2272. The Final EIS
can also be downloaded from the Division of Migratory Bird Management web site at: http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/cormorant/cormorant.html. For
further information, call the division at 703/358-1714.