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Hi Everyone,

To follow-up on our discussion of reestablishing effective cormorant control to protect the fisheries, I attached a new fact sheet from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that indicates they are completing an Environmental Assessment that evaluates options for the issuance of depredation permits for lethal control of cormorants where there is either significant economic damage to fish production facilities (aquaculture); significant damage to native vegetation; significant impact on a threatened or endangered species; or significant human safety risks.  Unfortunately, this Environmental Assessment review does not cover protecting recreational and commercial fisheries by allowing lethal control of cormorants to protect free swimming fish.  The US Fish and Wildlife Service indicates that once they complete the first review they will begin working to analyze the impact that cormorants have on recreational and commercial fisheries.  The reason that the FWS is working on aquaculture and safety issues first is stakeholders concerned about these issues put strong pressure on their Congressional Delegation and insisted that lethal control of the birds is critical. 

To ensure that the FWS completes the second Environmental Assessment that allows lethal control of the birds to protect fisheries, a strong response from us is needed by contacting our US Congress Person and US Senators and encourage these Representatives to pressure the FWS to move quickly to complete the second Environmental Assessment that allows the lethal take of cormorants to protect free swimming fish. 

To assist in contacting your US Representatives, attached is a contact sheet along with the original letter that was sent from the Committee to the entire US Congressional Delegation.  I have been contacting my US Congressman, Jack Bergman’s Office about once each month for updates and he has been very responsive.  I encourage you to also be insistent and send photos and other information to your representatives.

Ed Smith, Community Outreach Coordinator of US Congressman Paul Mitchell of the 10 District participated at the meeting today and indicated that the Congressman would be very interested in the this problem and you can contact Ed by email atEdward.Smith@mail.house.gov and by phone at 586 997-5010 or 586 506-3654.  

To be effective we need to be persistent and continue our dialog with our US Representatives.

Frank