The eradication of cormorant colonies has often been advocated by those
who say they want to protect Lake Erie vegetation.  This protection has
been invoked by Canadian National Parks staff who recently shot
cormorants off their nests in Point Pelee, and by Ohio Division of
Wildlife staff doing likewise on the Ohio side again this season. The
idea is bogus.
        This vegetation, usually called "Carolinian," characterizes merely the
northern portion of the deciduous forest region so common in the eastern
U.S., mingled with a few Canadian Zone plants common farther north.
Widespread in northern Ohio, in Ontario it is widespread in the southern
part of the province, on the islands and well inland: see maps at
http://www.carolinian.org/FactSheets_CCUniqueness.htm  . It occurs in
only about 1% of Canada's immense land area (similar to coastal mangrove
habitat in the southern US), and hence as the northern extent of far
more diverse vegetation from farther south it contains 40% of Ontario's
rare plant species. But these species are far from rare farther south,
just as the region's many fewer species from farther north are rare only
for the U.S.
        In addition, only in a tiny fraction of Ontario's Carolinian areas do
cormorants post any threat whatever to its characteristic vegetation. In
Ohio, our very small number of locally rare Canadian zone plants at risk
also falls well short of justifying local eradication of a native bird
species. Both Canadian and US arguments for wiping out cormorant
colonies for such a reason seem to be make-believe.
        An interesting article in Canada's newspaper The Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080524.CORMORANTS24/EmailTPStory/
covers a non-lethal way of curbing the growth of the largest cormorant
colony on the Great Lakes, on narrow peninsulas in a popular Toronto
park. Because cormorants are intolerant of human presences at large
nesting sites, Toronto authorities plan to encourage roller-skating and
tai chi practice sessions in certain areas to limit incursions by
nesting cormorants further inland at the park. They have deliberately
abandoned shooting as a control measure.
        US enthusiasts also allege cormorants' negative effects on the numbers
of co-nesting wading birds, but have produced no numbers to prove it.
They also tell us no deleterious effect on the fishery has been
established, so what are they left with to justify wiping out cormorant
colonies?
Bill Whan
Columbus



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