The U.S. House has passed the Cormorant Relief Act, legislation that will authorize more aquaculture operations to cull double-crested cormorants.
“Great news from the House floor today – my Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 has officially passed,” U.S. Representative Mike Ezell (R-Mississippi) said in a social media post. “This bill gives state and Tribal wildlife agencies the flexibility they need to better manage growing cormorant populations. These large, fish-eating birds have become a serious threat to fish farms and native species across the Gulf Coast, especially in Mississippi’s Fourth District.”
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the cormorant population in the U.S. and Canada has ballooned to between 871,000 and 1,031,757 birds, and each bird eats roughly 1 pound of fish daily. The voracious birds frequently turn to American fish farms to fill their bellies with an easy meal. A 2021 study estimated that cormorants cause roughly USD 64.7 million (EUR 55 million) in damage to aquaculture operations every year.
The U.S. government has attempted to control the threat before.
In 1998, the USFWS issued an Aquaculture Depredation Order that allowed aquaculture producers and landowners to cull cormorants attempting to eat their fish. However, the USFWS order was vacated by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2016. While the service was still allowed to issue individual permits authorizing fish farms to kill the birds, the aquaculture industry claims the government has struggled to issue those permits in a timely manner.
The Cormorant Relief Act would direct USFWS to reissue the Aquaculture Depredation Order, removing the need for individual permits. The legislation has been backed by both Catfish Farmers of America and the National Aquaculture Association.
“Double-crested cormorant populations continue to increase, with little to no predation, an expanding prey base, and growing rookeries in the Southeastern United States,” the National Aquaculture Association stated in a release. “The North American Breeding Bird Survey Trend Results estimated a growth rate of 1.52 percent through the U.S., with some areas as high as 8.11 percent. This increasing population, coupled with delays in obtaining depredation permits, has led to significant cormorant predation and economic losses of farmed fish.”
The legislation would also expand the order to cover more states and authorize lake and pond managers to cull cormorants under the order.
The House passed the bill in a voice vote along with 13 other bills on 9 December.
"Today’s legislative progress reflects our commitment to responsible land management, improved infrastructure, and expanded opportunity for communities across the country,” House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Arkansas) said in a statement. “These bills restore Tribal homelands, honor our nation’s history, enhance water reliability, and modernize permitting so that projects can move forward faster and more efficiently. I commend my colleagues for their dedication to delivering solutions that empower communities, respect local needs, and honor America’s heritage."
The legislation will next need to be passed by the full Senate and sent to U.S. President Donald Trump to be signed before becoming law.
“Protecting our aquaculture industry and preserving our native ecosystems is critical to our coastal economy and way of life,” Ezell said. “I’m proud to see this commonsense legislation move forward, and I’ll keep fighting for South Mississippi every step of the way.”
