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Federal Bill Threatens Cormorants
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Federal Bill Threatens Cormorants
- From: "Scott Geiger" <scott_geiger@hotmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 13:48:25 GMT
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
I appologize in advance for sending this to the list, however, it is highly
important.
Federal Bill Threatens Cormorants
7/21/00, The Fund for Animals
Since 1972, double-crested cormorants have been protected under the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Their growing population has antagonized U.S.
fishing industries, who accuse the birds of depleting fish populations of
interest to anglers.
In response, H.R. 3118, a bill which directs the Secretary of the Department
of the Interior to establish a hunting season for double-crested cormorants,
has been introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives. If passed, H.R.
3118 will pre-empt the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's (FWS) current, ongoing
analysis of cormorant population impacts, and will allow hunters to kill
cormorants, regardless of FWS findings.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Contact your U.S. Representative and tell him or her to oppose H.R. 3118.
Let your Representative know:
It is premature for Congress to decide on a course of action (i.e., a
hunting season) before the FWS has completed its evaluation.
Because of the weakness of the connection between cormorant population
increases and impacts on fish stocks, H.R. 3118 is vigorously opposed by
several conservation organizations, including the American Bird Conservancy
and the National Audubon Society.
The FWS has already approved regulations to allow fish farmers to shoot
nuisance birds; a hunting season amounts to random killing of cormorants and
is unlikely to achieve any population control objective.
The FWS itself opposed this legislation at a March hearing on H.R. 3118.
A hunting season on cormorants would place other species, such as the
increasingly rare Common Loon, in danger, as other birds would be victims of
mistaken identity kills.
CONTACT: The Honorable __________ U.S. House of Representatives Washington,
D.C. 20515 Tel: 202-225-3121
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