Ontario’s decision for the province-wide cull of Double-crested Cormorants

[摘要] On the eve of the 100th anniversary of the convention betweenthe United States and Canada to protect migratory birds in NorthAmerica, Linda Wires published an invited editorial in thisjournal titled “Migratory bird protection, a crack in the armor:the case of the Double-crested Cormorant” (Wires 2015). InCanada the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 (MBCA) waspassed in 1917, while in the United States the Migratory BirdTreaty Act (MBTA) was passed in 1918. These acts resulted inthe implementation of the convention in each country andprovided protection under the law to migratory birds, their nests,and eggs. This protection represents a milestone internationallyin bird conservation efforts. As her title suggested, the Doublecrested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) was one species thatreceived no such national protection as a result of this treaty, adecision that reflected hundreds of years of persecution. Aninteresting aspect of Wires editorial was that she contrastedcormorant control in Canada with the United States andconsidered Canada’s record favorably compared to that of oursouthern neighbor. That is not to say that Canada has not engagedin considerable persecution of this species but that our measureshave hitherto been more targeted and considered compared withthe depredation orders of the United States that have resulted inthe greatest culling of any native North American species.Regardless, the establishment of depredation orders in the UnitedStates and the culling of birds in Canada has led to well over halfa million Double-crested Cormorants killed, by Wires (2014)account. Unfortunately, the tide has turned and recent events inthe province of Ontario stand to dramatically change the standingof Canada’s record on this front.

[学科分类] 口腔科学

[关键词] cormorants;diet;management;persecution;Laurentian Great Lakes;Ontario