Cormorants in the Salt

[Denlon]

Over the past week or so, there have been 6 pages of posts/arguments in the Freshwater Forum about cormorants increasing rapidly in freshwater lakes & streams.

I just want to mention, as I did in that forum, that I have been fishing in this area (central jersey) for over 60 years and I have never seen so many of them as I have in recent years. I don't have a bone to pick personally about their presence since they are not foreign invaders and it's just nature taking its course.

I do however want to mention that the same phenomenal increase is taking place in the salt water areas as well. I do a lot of fishing in Raritan Bay around Hoffman and Swinburn Islands. I believe that these are in NY waters, but on any sunny day you can float around these islands and see every pole and piling of the old abandoned piers and docks with one of these birds sitting on top. It's sort of neat because most of them have their wings flared out to dry in in sun. It's really neat to see so many of them on display all at once. I never took a picture, but I should have. If someone has a picture of this, I would like to see it posted in this forum.

Denny

[shrimpman steve]

I thought they were not indigenous to the America's

[jmurr711]

1 thing we all can agree on is they are delicious

[Capt Joe]

Conservation groups pleaded with S.C. Department of Natural Resources officials Tuesday to end the cormorant control operation that killed more than 12,000 of the migratory birds in one month on the Santee Cooper lakes.

Meanwhile, Santee Cooper area tourism leaders praised the agency for trying to balance the importance of the fish-eating birds with the value of the lake’s fish population on the local economy.

DNR officials were stunned that 1,225 people came to the training sessions and volunteered to shoot cormorants on lakes Marion and Moultrie during the one-month program that ended March 1.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/04/29/3416342/cormorant-control-program-raises.html?sp=/99/205/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

Praise to the South Carolina Dept. of Nat Resources, N.J. wouldnt have the balls.

[Dino]

a very large cull is needed, Maine to Florida.

[bender]

I agree with Dino.. way too many.

[bunka bologna]

sign me up. that would be fun :D

[Captain Rich]

You know when I see them working, I know there is bait in the area, so that is kind of helpful to me. Last week when I saw one trying to swallow a winter flounder in front of my boat, I wasn't so happy!

[shrimpman steve]

I'm wrong, they are indigenous to the US.

MY BAD

[dales529]

You know when I see them working, I know there is bait in the area, so that is kind of helpful to me. Last week when I saw one trying to swallow a winter flounder in front of my boat, I wasn't so happy!

You realize that counts against your 2 fish limit right:eek: Best of luck this year Capt Rich.

[Denlon]

You know when I see them working, I know there is bait in the area, so that is kind of helpful to me. Last week when I saw one trying to swallow a winter flounder in front of my boat, I wasn't so happy!

They must have a really wide or stretchy throat to be capable of swallowing a Winter Flounder or a Fluke. It's hard to believe they can do it. In all my years on the bay, I never saw them eat a flat fish.

I wonder how they would do with the spikes on a Sea Robin?


Denny

[SaltLife1980]

To many of em

[wrktoomuch]

Anyone who doesn't think they need to be drastically controlled, has never seen them at work. They are voracious predators. You are limited to a few fish but Cormorants will clean out a pool of freshly stocked trout, while you can't get a bite. I work on Newark Bay and watch them eating fish all day long. While crabbing, they are brazen enough to steal the baits from the traps.