As many readers know, government agencies--primarily Ohio DNR, APHIS,
and Ottawa NWR--have since 2006 cooperated in various sites around Ohio
to control damage said to be caused by double-crested cormorants.  Even
though support of sport and commercial fishermen for lethal controls of
cormorants is actively encouraged by several of these agencies, these
agencies cannot prove cormorants are damaging the fishery, so alleged
fish problems are mentioned in the controls, but are not targeted. The
same goes for vague allegations that cormorants constitute a threat to
airplanes, etc.
        The damage-control agencies have issued new documents to renew and
continue their project, and today have announced a supplement to their
project "Reducing Double-crested Cormorant Damage in Ohio." and the
paperwork (and original documents) are available free by mail from USDA
APHIS Wildlife Services, 6929 Americana Parkway, Reynoldsburg OH 43068
(ph. (614) 861-6087, or online at
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0062  . See
Public Notices in today's Cols Dispatch.
        The deadline for comments is 2 August. I have only skimmed the lengthy
documents, but gather that a renewal of authority to continue damage
control is requested, with some minor changes anticipated in the manner
in which corpses of cormorants shot are composted and in methods of
assessing vegetational changes. The most significant data are summaries
of data reflecting on the efficacy of the depredation project 2006-present.
        I object to this whole lethal-control strategy, but won't rehearse that
matter here. One new thing bothers me. Apparently the agencies involved
in 2011 became aware of a small cormorant/great egret/great blue heron
colony on an island in an inactive Columbus limestone quarry (local
birders had known about it for five years by the time), and this area
has been routinely added to lists of sites targeted for controls, which
I presume include shooting as an alternative. For years now, it has been
easy enough to ignore shooting  cormorants at remote island sites in
Lake Erie by wildlife personnel, but "control" of cormorants in a major
city is less likely to go unnoticed or unquestioned.
        Lots of readers of this list will prefer to watch their feeders and
work on their lists, but the actions of our government to justifiy
killing native birds--you'd be surprised to learn how many species
involved--are little-known and worth knowing at least a little about.
Bill Whan
Columbus

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