AR-News: (CA) Bird cull to begin in Presqu'ile park

[Barry Kent MacKay]

[We have now had confirmation that the shooting did, indeed, begin today,
May 6, 2004.  There is NO scientific rationale for this whatsoever.  BKM]


May. 6, 2004. 01:00 AM


Bird cull to begin in Presqu'ile park


KEITH LESLIE
CANADIAN PRESS

The Ontario government has decided to proceed with a cull of up to 6,000 
cormorants at Presqu'ile Provincial Park after rejecting a promised 
environmental assessment, Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay said 
yesterday.

In 1982, there was only one cormorant nest in the park near Belleville in 
eastern Ontario, but now there are more than 12,000 nests. Ramsay said the 
double-crested cormorants were rapidly destroying habitat needed by other 
water birds such as egrets and herons.

The cull had been postponed because of an appeal by animal rights and 
environmental groups.

But Environment Minister Leona Dombrowsky said there was no time for an 
environmental review because the birds' eggs would start hatching this 
month, at which time the cull would have to end.

She added the province would assess the impact of the cull and possible 
future bird kills in December.

Canadian Press

__________________

  Barry Kent MacKay
  Canadian Representative 
  ANIMAL PROTECTION INSTITUTE 
  www.api4animals.org