AR-News: (CA) Current Body Count: 4592 Dead Cormorants

[Barry Kent MacKay]

For Immediate Release
Peaceful Parks Coalition

Ontario Parks Proudly Announces 1393 Dead Cormorants in One Day All Time 
Record High

Toronto June 2, 2004: On Monday May 31, Ontario Parks shot and killed 
1393 nesting double-crested cormorants at Presqu'ile Provincial Park, 
near Trenton Ontario. On Tuesday May 25, they shot and killed 1098, and 
on Wednesday May 26, 439 were killed - for a grand total of 4592 in just 
eleven days of shooting. It is fully anticipated Ontario Parks will 
reach they goal of 6000 dead birds this week.

"The birds are helpless while they are nesting," says AnnaMaria Valastro 
of the Peaceful Parks Coalition. "The last two weeks in May is the 
height of the nesting season and cormorants are dedicated parents. They 
will stay by their nests at all costs."

Once sharpshooters have removed half of the colony, it becomes easier to 
kill the remaining birds because the colony is less dense, and ravaged 
and chaotic.

A full 25% of great blue herons have abandoned their nests because of 
the shooting - 15 out of 60 nests, according to Ontario Parks.

Independent observers watching the colony from shore believe 
black-crowned night herons have also abandoned their nests. Ontario 
Parks denies any birds have abandoned because of their activities. 
Instead they blame the cormorants for chasing away other water birds.

"I find it incredible that Ontario Parks thinks shooting thousands of 
bullets into a dense nesting colony would have absolutely no impact on 
non-target species. Either they need a reality check or they're lying," 
says Valastro.

No independent observers are allowed to assess the state of the colony, 
so the truth will never be known. The Canadian Wildlife Service will be 
conducting a census after the shooting but they are not independent. 
They are a federal government agency and will only count the number of 
nests, and not report nest abandonment - at least not to the public.

-30-

Contacts:
Peaceful Parks Coalition 416.537.3212
Chip Weseloh, Canadian Wildlife Service 416.739.5846
Dalton McGuinty, Premier 416.325.1941

Notes to the Editor:

On May 5, 2004, Dalton McGuinty authorized the shooting of 6000 
double-crested cormorants at High Bluff Island, located approximately 1 
km. off the shore of Lake Ontario. High Bluff Island is a bird sanctuary 
within Presqu'ile Provincial Park. Dalton McGuinty claims the birds are 
too numerous and are destroying habitat for our water birds also nesting 
on High Bluff Island.

But his statements are contrary to reports issued by Ontario Parks, and 
other research data, that claim cormorant avian companions thrive along 
side nesting cormorants. This is true at High Bluff Island, where 
black-crowned night herons, great blue herons, and egrets have been 
increasing their numbers. This is also true at the Leslie Spit in 
downtown Toronto. A colony of 4889 nesting cormorants coincides with the 
highest number of nesting black-crowned night herons ever recorded. New 
York State has been removing cormorant nests since 1994 on islands 
within their water boundary in an effort to increase nesting night 
herons. After tens years of nest destruction, they have failed to 
increase the presence of night herons in any significant way. Night 
herons are not a species at risk.

Dr. Chip Weseloh of the Canadian Wildlife Services supports the shooting 
of cormorants and references his own data when stating cormorants will 
eventually displace night herons, but Dr. Weseloh ignores the body of 
evidence produced by his colleagues and relies solely on his own 
observations.

Given the lack of scientific evidence supporting the complete 
eradication of cormorants from Presqu'ile Provincial Park, the Peaceful 
Parks believes Dalton McGuinty has caved to pressure from the Ontario 
Federation of Anglers and Hunters who have lobbied hard to have the 
birds killed. They claim the birds are eating too many of their prized 
"pan-fry".

END

Peaceful Parks Coalition
P.O. Box 326, Station B
Toronto, Ontario M5T 2W2
http://www.peacefulparks.org
ppc at peacefulparks.org



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P.O. 100
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_____________

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