Shooting Cormorants and Goosanders

1. Nobody has suggested 'eradication from the UK' - a controlled cull is not that!

2. John - are you a vegetarian (sorry thats off topic and flippant!)

If these birds were coming inland and eating other birds then what would be done?? So as far as you are concerned then a fish has no right to live over a bird?? Come on get real!

Hi folks, I would wholly recommend taking a look at Martin Harper's blog for our stance on this subject. Take a look here.

Jennifer T said:

Hi folks, I would wholly recommend taking a look at Martin Harper's blog for our stance on this subject. Take a look here.

I whole hearted agree with Martins blog.

Thanks for posting that, Mrs T, great blog from Martin Harper.

Unfortunately the blog doesnt go anywhere near the problem.

Fish refuges are mentioned - you cant have them in a commercial fishery and make them work. The presence of the cormorants in the water on a regular basis makes the fish feed at odd times of day and renders a fishery almost unfishable.

Also there is no mention in the article of the choice of roosting sites by these birds - they often choose the largest tree at a fishery (normally an ancient Oak or other important tree) - they then deposit gauano all over it so much so that it normally kills the tree!

Come on someone tell me why the fish need to die to feed this pest? Their numbers are growing exponentially and I think you will find that they are out of control - I notice also there is absolutely zero comment on my question "What would be done if these birds were coming inland and eating other birds?" - might seem like a funny question but to me a fish is just as important as a bird.....

Perhaps I could answer your question. Nothing. It would be natural predation.

Unknown said:

Their numbers are growing exponentially and I think you will find that they are out of control - I notice also there is absolutely zero comment on my question "What would be done if these birds were coming inland and eating other birds?" - might seem like a funny question but to me a fish is just as important as a bird.....

It is not true that Cormorant numbers are 'growing exponentially' - in the case of breeding birds their numbers are not currently growing at all. Take a look at the State of the UK's Birds report (here: www.rspb.org.uk/.../sukbs2011_tcm9-298041.pdf) for up-to-date info on population trends.

As for the birds eating other birds question, it would make no difference if Cormorants ate birds rather than fish, their numbers could not increase beyond a level that could be sustained by their prey numbers. If we artificially augment the number of prey animals in a predator's habitat, this will allow for a larger predator population.

A parallel example. Peregrines and Sparrowhawks have increased dramatically over the last 30 years - both eat almost exclusively other birds. Both are also native species, and are recovering from decades of extremely intense persecution followed by DDT poisoning. In the 1970s both species were more or less absent from huge parts of Britain. They have now spread and increased, their numbers stabilising at a level that can be sustained by their prey populations. Some are now saying that there are too many Sparrowhawks and Peregrines, that they are 'wiping out' their prey species, and that it should be made legal to cull them. Guess who's saying this? Not birders, but pigeon-fanciers, whose hobby involves letting loose loads of pigeons (prey for both of these raptor species) into the wild.

Yes I am vegetarian and I also stopped fishing perhaps it was because I wasn't as good as a Cormorant, KF, Heron or any other fish eating bird as clinical as a say an Osprey in catching  any fish

If they, that is Cormorants, ate other birds then that is the food chain, I have cats come into my garden catch and sometimes kill/eat our garden birds but I don't advocate a cull on cats.

I think, Simon, that it is yourself that need to get 'real' but each to their own, one thing you would never ever get me to change my mind, but then I am no angler!:-)

Mr Fisher just needs a bigger spoon.