Alberta Cormorant Hunt Sparks Wildlife Debate

Double-crested cormorants have become increasingly prevalent across Alberta, prompting concerns from anglers about their impact on fish populations and stocked trout. Anglers report that cormorants quickly consume a high percentage of stocked fish, incurring significant economic costs. To address these issues, the provincial government has implemented population control programs in northeastern Alberta since 2005, with ongoing efforts in Bonnyville until 2025. These management tools include monitoring and targeted control measures.

Further measures allow eligible Albertans to obtain damage control licenses to kill cormorants, and as of 2025, these birds can be hunted without a license on private land. The province is also collaborating with the Alberta Wildlife Federation on citizen science initiatives to gather better data on cormorant colonies. North American populations have seen a substantial increase since 1970, partly due to environmental regulations like the ban on DDT.

Despite these management actions, conservation specialists express concern that regulations, such as allowing cormorants to be killed without a limit on private land and permitting their flesh to go to waste, were enacted before thorough scientific studies were completed. They advocate for current data on population size, range, and ecological impacts to inform effective and reasonable management strategies, ensuring ecosystem support.

However, cormorants also play a role in controlling invasive species, which is beneficial for ecosystem management. The lack of recent provincial studies, with the last provincewide survey dating back to the late 1980s and 1990s, highlights the need for updated data before implementing broad management strategies.