Honourable John Baird Minister of the Environment Les Terrasses de la Chaudiere, 10 Wellington Street, 28th Floor Gatineau, Quebec, K1A 0H3 Fax: 819-953-0279 Dear Minister Baird, Subject: Implementation of the proposed Middle Island Conservation Plan It has come to my attention that Parks Canada is proposing to cull Double-crested Cormorants on Middle Island, in Point Pelee National Park. I am vehemently opposed to this strategy because it will be ineffective, cruel, and will cause ecological damage to the island. The Double-crested Cormorant colony on Middle Island, like every other bird colony in the world, is causing localized changes to the vegetation around their nest sites. Bird colonies are dynamic and the natural changes that occur within and around them are an indication of a vibrant, evolving ecosystem. The cormorant population declined dramatically in the 19th and 20th centuries due to human persecution and the use of pesticides like DDT. The Double-crested Cormorant is a native species to Ontario and its return to the western Lake Erie basin and Middle Island should be celebrated. As such, the colony should be left to nest peacefully on the island regardless of its size. Evidence shows that cormorants co-exist with other bird species, such as herons and egrets, both of which are stable or growing on Middle Island. Culling, however, will seriously disrupt other nesting birds and may force them to vacate the island. Culling at Presqu'ile Provincial Park prompted other colonial birds, such as Black-crowned Night-Herons and Great Blue Herons, to abandon their nest sites. Moreover, culling will require a constant human presence on the island during sensitive nesting periods - this will have negative ecological effects, as will the thousands of corpses left behind to decompose on the island after the cull. Culling is not an effective strategy for managing wildlife; culls do not reduce a local area's desirability to cormorants or its carrying capacity, and the rate of cormorant population growth may actually accelerate in response to lethal control measures. If initiated, culling will have to be carried out on Middle Island indefinitely to achieve the goals of the proposed conservation plan - I oppose tax-payers' money being used to fund a constant disruption in a National Park. To make matters worse, there is no way to cull cormorants humanely. Past culls in other regions have resulted in large numbers of injured birds being left to die of their wounds or starve to death, including nestlings. This is unacceptable to the public who place a high premium on animal welfare. Causing the needless suffering and death of thousands of migratory birds is surely not reflective of Parks Canada's conservation values. I urge you to oppose this irresponsible management strategy. The recovery of Ontario's Double-crested Cormorants should be celebrated, as they are an integral part our natural environment. I oppose the disruption of Middle Island's cormorant colony, and firmly believe that natural processes must be allowed to take place within our National Parks. I look forward to receiving a response from you about this important matter. Sincerely,