Home / Environment / EU Nations Demand Action on Fish-Eating Birds
EU Nations Demand Action on Fish-Eating Birds
21 May
Summary
- Ten EU countries want cormorants listed as huntable.
- Ministers cite €350 million annual damage to fisheries.
- Estonia's cormorants consume fish twice local catch.
Ten European Union nations have formally requested that the cormorant be classified as a huntable species under the EU's Birds Directive. The joint letter, sent to environment and fisheries commissioners, argues for the necessity of controlling cormorant populations to protect inland fish stocks and aquaculture.
Ministers from these countries highlight that cormorants consume an estimated half a kilogram of fish per day, contributing to an annual loss exceeding €350 million for European fisheries and aquaculture. In Estonia alone, cormorants reportedly consume approximately 20,000 metric tons of fish yearly, nearly double the national coastal fishing catch.
The agriculture and environment ministers are pressing for EU-wide population targets and advocating for relaxed regulations that would permit shooting the birds outside of designated hunting periods. They draw parallels to existing predator control measures for wolves and other species, emphasizing a holistic approach to nature management.
