Cormorant nests dwindle on Huron

Spiel · March 21, 2008

Cormorant nests dwindle on Huron due to natural ebb and vigilante culls

MNR survey shows nine colonies 'shot up' on Georgian Bay, N. Channel

March 20, 2008

NORTH CHANNEL-Vigilante culling of cormorants at Lake Huron colonies reached a new peak last year, according to observations made by Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) personnel during their annual survey of nesting sites.

Findings obtained by the Expositor through a Freedom of Information request show that nine cormorant colonies between Parry Sound and Blind River, including several in the vicinity of Manitoulin, were raided last spring by unknown individuals who left a trail of smashed eggs, dead chicks and spent ammunition in their wake.

Jim Sloss, chair of the United Fish and Game Clubs of Manitoulin (UFGCM), said his organization had no role in this blitz. "We haven't organized it and haven't taken part in it," he said. "Nor have we asked people to go out and do it themselves."

He does, however, understand why it might have occurred. "People are very frustrated by the lack of action on cormorants," he said. "Studies have shown this is a serious problem, but nothing is done about it."

The UFGCM was poised to conduct its own citizen-led cull in the spring of 2005, gaining hundreds of signatures of volunteers who were prepared to take part in the act of civil disobedience, but backed off at the last minute.

"We withdrew our position on that, and that's the way it has been," said Mr. Sloss. "It's not something we propose as a proper method. It's definitely a last resort."

While the renegade culls have contributed to a decrease in active colonies and a general downswing in the cormorant population on Lake Huron, they could not have been the only, or even the most significant, factor in this trend.

Almost a third of the colonies (32 of 114) visited by the MNR in 2007 were found to be deserted, and it wasn't the case that cormorants were breeding in more concentrated numbers at the remaining sites, as 1,199 fewer nests were found across the North Channel and Georgian Bay study area. Nor were the birds establishing much in the way of new hatching grounds, as only one new colony, containing 59 nests, was documented.

A collapse of the alewife population, due to winter weather and salmonid predation, is cited as the main reason for the downturn in the number of cormorants, which peaked in 2000/'01 and has dwindled since.

The most conspicuous type of fish seen around nest sites last year by the MNR was round gobies (an invasive species) and crayfish, along with yellow perch, rock bass and burbot, but in general "the amount of fish seen at nests this season is much lower than in previous years," the report notes.

More surprising and disturbing to the MNR was the level of colony destruction that occurred last year, as such activity is both a violation of laws protecting the bird and a threat to public safety.

"The cormorant is a federally protected bird," said MNR spokesman Barry Radford. "And the time when they're hatching is also a time when people are coming to their cottages and are out in boats, so safety is of major concern with actions like this."

The MNR estimates that between the birds that were shot (or clubbed), and the eggs that would have hatched into birds had they not been crushed, about 3,000 cormorants were removed through the rogue action.

One colony, according to the MNR report, "had approximately 50 dead chicks which appeared to be shot with shotguns, with many eggs smashed in nests." Another was strewn with 250 carcasses of adults and hatchlings, while only 20 adults and one chick remained alive; among the nests, the MNR found empty shotgun shells and cartridge box for a .22-calibre rifle.

The most carnage occurred at an island where all 493 nests "contained dead young birds or smashed eggs," according to the MNR report. Three adults had been slain by a shotgun and the ministry observer estimated that 250 chicks "were shot or clubbed."

Frontier justice carried out the preceding year had left a lasting impact in at least one location. "This colony was shot up last year (2006) with dead young left in tree nests," notes the MNR observer. "All nests appear to be abandoned this year."

Other evidence of human disturbance found at colonies included a scarecrow that had been erected at one site, and yellow paint that had been splattered around the nests of another.

For Julie Woodyer of Cormorant Defenders International, such behaviour is "sadistic and cruel." Particularly offensive to her is the notion that someone might club a chick in its nest. "It's one thing to kill an animal," she said. "But to beat them and leave them to die in the nest is heartless."

The animal rights activist said that, apart from being a violation of the Wildlife Act, incidents of this nature could be considered a criminal code offence, as section 446 of the code can be brought to bear on anyone who would "willfully cause or allow unnecessary pain, suffering, or injury to an animal."

Ms. Woodyer said she is "not surprised" to learn that some people have taken the law into their own hands to deal with cormorants. "It has occurred on Lake Ontario previously, and I know people in the North are frustrated because they feel the MNR isn't doing anything and they're told by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters that it's a big, serious problem."

But the problem is being overstated, in her view. "If cormorants can survive here, that means the lakes are starting to heal and there are lots and lots of feeder fish," she said. At the same time, cormorant numbers are on the ebb across the Great Lakes. "It's how it goes with nature," she reasoned. "It gradually gets to equilibrium, and we're pretty much there with cormorants now."

The situation doesn't seem so rosy to Mr. Sloss, who maintains that the birds have done irreparable harm to the sport fishery, and that MNR studies, including the latest one conducted on the Island's inland lakes, bear that out. "Having all this information, there is a strong need for an action plan," he said. "But I don't see that happening."

The MNR began its long-term study of cormorant impact on Georgian Bay and the North Channel waters in 1999, with several rounds of experimental egg-oiling conducted in the ensuing years to see if this method of control would yield appreciable results. The tactic was abandoned last year as it was deemed ineffective in a limited scope.

"One of the problems when you get into cormorant control is that when you remove some, other cormorants just move in," said Mr. Radford. "If it's done, it has to be done on a massive scale, and in a controlled fashion that takes public safety into account."

The Natural Resources minister has not yet been convinced that such a far-ranging program is warranted, although the matter is still under consideration, said Mr. Radford, and the Georgian Bay/North Channel study, though scaled back, is not entirely wrapped up. "We're just part of a more international research effort now," said the MNR spokesman.

As for the incidents of colony disruption, Mr. Radford said an investigation was launched but no individuals have yet been charged. He noted that it's difficult to catch anyone in the act, as the sites are generally remote and someone could "go in and do a heck of an amount of destruction within an hour, while watching the horizon for any boats that might be approaching."

Consequently, the ministry is hoping the public will come forward with tips regarding the incidents.