AR-News: (CA) (Cormorants at Presqu'ile) Lead Shot More Polluting Than Bird Shit

[Barry Kent MacKay]

For Immediate Release
Peaceful Parks Coalition

Lead Shot More Polluting Than Bird Shit

Belleville, May 11, 2004: The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has 
taken a short reprieve from shooting double-crested cormorants at High 
Bluff Island in Presqu'ile Provincial Park because the birds are getting 
skittish. The Ministry shot and killed 320 birds on the first day -- 
Thursday May 6, 150 birds on the second day -- Friday May 7, and 50 
birds on Saturday May 8. The Ministry will begin oiling ground nests on 
Tuesday May 11.

The Peaceful Parks Coalition took the opportunity to investigate the 
colony at High Bluff Island. Peaceful Parks traveled to the island on 
Mother's Day, Sunday May 9, and again Monday May 10. There were many 
empty nests and dispersed adult cormorants. The Ministry kills one adult 
from each nesting pair. Since it takes two adults to incubate a clutch, 
the remaining adult is forced to abandon the nest, and the eggs will be 
left to rot.

The Ministry is also using low velocity lead bullets. They intend to 
shoot 6000 birds, and leave them to decompose on the island. "The 
government is killing these birds because they claim their guano 
destroys the vegetation, but what sort of impact will all the lead 
bullets and 6000 rotting birds have on the soil and vegetation," asks 
AnnaMaria Valastro of the Peaceful Parks Coalition.

The Liberal government has imposed a blackout on their activities, 
including a 200 metre buffer around the island, and has shut down a 
large portion of the campground on the mainland. There are also no press 
releases announcing their decision on either the Ministry's website or 
Ontario Parks. Even the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is 
eerily quiet on the issue, even though they lobbied hard to have the 
birds killed.

"David Ramsay believes once the killing begins, people will just 
surrender to the idea," says Valastro. "But they're mute on their 
decision because they're ashamed. Cormorants don't destroy vegetation 
anymore than forest fires destroy forests. Large birds need trees 
denuded of foliage because they are too large to fly into the branches 
otherwise. They're just creating a habitat for themselves."

The Peaceful Parks will continue to have a presence at the colony and 
will issue regular updates.

-30-

Contact AnnaMaria Valastro 416.537.3212 or
Gus Zylstra at 613.332.3651

Note to the Editor

The government claims the 200 metre buffer around High Bluff Island 
applies during all nesting seasons, but there is no signage marking the 
boundary, and Park personal do not enforce it during the regular nesting 
season. It is however being enforced during the shooting.

Peaceful Parks Coalition,
P.O. Box 326, Station B Toronto,
Ontario M5T 2W2


http://www.peacefulparks.org,
ppc at peacefulparks.org

__________________________________

  Barry Kent MacKay
  Canadian Representative 
  Animal Protection Institute 
  www.api4animals.org