# Cormorant Threat



## Steelmon (Mar 30, 2009)

I put some info on the destruction caused by Cormorants in the Steelie Stocking Thread, on the Southeast Forum, but that thread has lost interest, apparently. I just want to ask you guys to jump on board here and petition the DNR to do more to control these pests. For those that didn't read it, they were observed tearing up our fresh Steelhead plant on the Huron. The DNR website also has a picture of them feeding on a fresh plant of Browns in Alpena. The DNR does have measures to control some of them, but I don't believe it's enough. Someone said they have a guy that shoots them, on the Ausable. they should have had someone posted on the Huron for a couple weeks after the Steelhead Plant, to do the same. I would like to petition for Cormorant Season, either through the DNR or the Feds. If I find a contact at the Federal Level, I will post it. These "birds", called "Crow Ducks" in Europe are not just a threat to our prized game fishery, but the environment as well. The following is an excerpt that I took from an article on Cormorants on the Great Lakes:

"There is also concern about the effect of cormorants on the vegetation in their nesting grounds. Cormorants can damage vegetation by stripping leaves from trees. The combined weight of the birds and their nests can even break branches. But perhaps most importantly, their excrement, which rains down to the ground from their nests, kills the ground vegetation and eventually kills the nest tree. In some cases, the loss of these trees can lead to increased erosion. This is of particular concern on sandspits and barrier beaches which protect interior wetlands. In other areas, the vegetation may be of unusual natural significance, such as the islands in western Lake Erie which are forested by rare stands of Carolinian woodlands. The large cormorant colonies there could seriously impact or even destroy this vegetation."

Back to the problem. Some Biologists suggest that these pests are not a threat to our sport fishery and actually laud their presence. They cite "Bio-diversity". The more species of animals in a Bio-system, the healthier the system is overall. I'm not suggesting eradication here, but severe population control. Since these birds have a negative impact on the enviroment, it seems sensible to control their numbers, to me. There are 4 islands in Lake Erie where they nest and 2 in Lake Huron. These are the only ones I've read about, so far. Make nesting impossible on some of them, as an example. Their eggs can be sprayed wth a solution that causes the embryo the suffocate in the shell. By the time the adults see that the eggs haven't hatched it's too late to lay more. If you just destroy the eggs, they will lay more. The DNR used this method many years ago, before the decilne of these pests, due to DDT. I don't believe they are using it anymore. Take a couple minutes and write to [email protected] or call 517-373-3375. Let them know how you feel about watching your tax dollars and license dollars get gulped down the throat of a pest. Heres is another excerpt that should have us all concerned:

"The third concern is not such a clear issue. In northern Georgian Bay, fish harvesters feel that recent declines in local catches of yellow perch and smallmouth bass are the result of increased cormorant numbers at nearby colonies. As evidence they cite the ease with which a "meal" of fish was caught ten years ago, before the birds increased. Now, those fish are scarce and good catches are exceedingly rare. They also state that before cormorant numbers increased one could easily observe, when SCUBA diving, large and frequent schools of perch. These schools, too, have now disappeared."

I'm sure none of us want to see anything like this here. A lot of guys were complaining about the poor ice fishing on Lake St. Clair, this past winter. Could this be another Georgian Bay Scenario? Since these "birds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act a depradation permit must be issued to the state, by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, to control them. Let's write and ask the state to get one, if they don't have one already. Here is one more exceprt. I hope it will stir us to take action, like these concerned citizens:

"The State of New York has altered fish stocking methods in response to recommendations from a citizens task force. It has also requested and received depredation permits for double-crested cormorant control from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prevent nesting colonies from becoming established on new islands in Lake Ontario, and to prevent the colony on Oneida Lake from jeopardizing the nesting habitat of common terns, a state-listed threatened species. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the State of New York have conducted a pilot study to investigate techniques to change migration and roosting patterns of double-crested cormorants on Oneida Lake. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has also issued depredation permits to the State of Vermont to prevent cormorant colonies from spreading to new islands in Lake Champlain in order to reduce competition with other colonial waterbirds, and to prevent private property damage. To assist the State, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has conducted a variety of both lethal and non-lethal cormorant management activities on the lake."


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## Rifleman99 (Sep 21, 2004)

This will at least get the attention of the DNR. I heard rumors people saw 100+ while the DNR was stocking steelhead a few weeks ago. 
Take a minute to fill out the form if you did see the birds

http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/cormorantobs/


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## bigdaveh (Jan 11, 2008)

i just finished the form. we saw alot of them on the huron monday morning. sad to see them eat all those planted fish. sad.


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## Fox (Nov 21, 2007)

Good points. I know they (state and feds) do take measures to "control" the birds. I have friends that are going up to Indian lake in Schoolcraft county this weekend for a government sanctioned commorant shoot. I think the biggest barrier isn't with the DNR as much as it is with the feds since this is a federally protected bird.


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## Michigander1 (Apr 5, 2006)

Fox said:


> Good points. I know they (state and feds) do take measures to "control" the birds. I have friends that are going up to Indian lake in Schoolcraft county this weekend for a government sanctioned commorant shoot. I think the biggest barrier isn't with the DNR as much as it is with the feds since this is a federally protected bird.


 Well said.


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## johnobub (Sep 23, 2006)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7602418604510920447&ei=Eh4ESuyjG470-


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## Trevor (Jun 17, 2005)

I wonder if that's one of the reasons Breast Bay has gone from a perch to a walleye fishery


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