Cormorants

[Bassload]

Originally Posted by acabtp

uh, nothing, they are wild birds. you going to shoot all the bald eagles who eat stocked trout or trophy smallies too?

is this a serious thread?

This is a very serious problem! Look it up. I guess you think we should do nothing about invasive Asian carp in Ohio? Sometimes action is needed to keep the balance. FYI the fish have always been here the Cormorants haven't always been in NJ. They are as bad to fish as the feral hogs are to crops. Great pics from Eskimo posts.

[dfish28]

I love freshwater but as far as cormorants go... I'd love to see all there heads blown off: what good are these invasive species doing? I remember seeing them in Florida years ago and hearing the same whisper... Blow there heads off...!!!
If a bald eagle could swim underwater it would most likely be fairing a lot better, look at these black devils that dive down and chow up..I'm just sayin...survival of the fittest may have to include eliminating
Certain pests!!

[Mjh609]

Wow, that last post sounds incredibly unintelligent. Cormorants are NOT invasive. They are a native species and you guys are on here crying about them eating non native bass and trout? Get a freaking clue.

[dfish28]

in·va·sive
inˈvāsiv/
adjective
1.
(especially of plants or a disease) tending to spread prolifically and undesirably or harmfully.


I consider them highly undesirable...

[surfrod]

how about just relocate them to Passaic?

[gspdark1]

I love all you guys on here and have learned so much from ya'll, so I'm shocked that some ya'll can't see the forest from the trees.

[Ol Pedro]

gspdark1 ,would you care to elaborate on your statement ?

[ATH1089]

Cormorants are common to wetlands all over North America. They are not an introduced species like LMB, snakeheads, or feral pigs. Those animals are all the fault of human beings, and while the LMB has found a niche with sportsmen (the very reason it was introduced), the others are certainly not to be taken lightly. However, they are very different from a species that is just annoying like the cormorants.

Feral pigs were used for comparison in this thread. They tear up farms, attack pets, destroy property, and breed at a prodigious rate. They have become a problem because humans allowed them to become a problem. Cormorants are just making a living. They are a wild animal doing what wild animals all over the world do: eating, and making more little wild animals. The trout stocking program provides a great deal of entertainment for many sportsmen, but it is just that: entertainment.

These birds are a natural and essential part of the ecosystem. Are they breeding in greater numbers than usual? Possibly. Are they a detriment to their environment? Not that I am aware of. The trout are stocked for you to have fun. The suggestion that these birds should be evicted from their natural habitats because they are feeding on your hobby is a little bit disappointing. As fishermen, we should be preserving the environment in every way possible, not exterminating an animal for the sake of convenience.

[gspdark1]

Originally Posted by Ol Pedro

gspdark1 ,would you care to elaborate on your statement ?

ATH1089 pretty much said it for me. We can't replace one species in favor of one we (as humans) prefer. It's up to us to be both sportsmen and conservationists.