U.S. Representative Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) has introduced a bill that would create a new framework for culling double-crested cormorants, a bird known to consume large quantities of fish.
"Great Lakes fisheries are essential to Michigan's economy, outdoor recreation, and cultural heritage," Walberg said in a release. "When double‑crested cormorant populations grow beyond sustainable levels, they can significantly deplete fish stocks. This legislation ensures we have a responsible, science‑driven framework to protect Michigan’s fisheries."
A single cormorant eats roughly 1 pound of fish every day, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) estimated that the cormorant population in the U.S. and Canada has grown to 871,000 to 1,031,757 birds. That abundance of birds threatens fish stocks, Walberg said, and has inflicted millions of dollars in damage to Great Lakes fisheries.
Last year, Congress passed into law the Cormorant Relief Act, legislation intended to address cormorant predation at aquaculture facilities. A 2021 study found that the birds inflict USD 64.7 million (EUR 55 million) in damage to the U.S. aquaculture industry annually. The Cormorant Relief Act directed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reissue an order that would allow aquaculture producers to cull cormorants without needing to secure individual permits for that purpose.
Walberg’s legislation would direct the secretary of the interior to establish regional management frameworks for culling cormorants. Those frameworks would be developed in coordination with the Regional Flyway Councils.
The legislation is backed by sports fishing groups.
"The rapid recovery and proliferation of double crested cormorant populations create challenges for not only public and private aquaculture facilities but also for fisheries and land managers in many cases," Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Senior Vice President Taylor Schmitz said in a release. "The Responsible Cormorant Management and Control Act provides a science-based, proven framework approach to delegating management authority to the states where needed.”
