Wildlife Officials to Kill 4,000 Cormorants

Associated Press ^ | 5-27-05 | GREGG AAMOT

[babylontoday]

Yes the eagle population was affected by DDT. Their numbers exploded as did other predatory birds because of the reduction in disease carrying insect vectors.
Sadly since the ban tens of millions of people have had to suffer illness and death from Malaria that otherwise would not have had to.
http://www.thenewamerican.com/tna/2001/07-02-2001/vo17no14_malaria.htm
http://www.thenewamerican.com/tna/1997/vo13no04/vo13no04_ecology.htm
http://www.babylontoday.com/the_environment.htm#ddt

[babylontoday]

Also in regard to bald eagles
http://www.junkscience.com/ddtfaq.htm#ref7

[auburntiger]

"Malaria came roaring back when DDT was banned."

What would you rather have? Thin eggshells or malaria? You selfish bird haters!

[Turbo Pig]

"That's someone else's problem, but it stops the whining over killing them."

We have a goose problem here in KC, as well. I always thought they should be thinned by hunting, with the dead birds going to feed all the homeless that the evil Repubs had created. This would pit the enviros directly against the "blame it on the right" libs. Watching that would be almost as much fun as hunting those stupid sky rats.

[Mikey_1962]

Based on the book "Silent Spring" which was based on science that was bad 40 years ago. Countries around the world still use DDT which no effect on bird populations

[Big Digger]

Cormarants look like Helen Thomas and eat fish the way Ted Kennedy drinks scotch. They should be wiped from the face of the earth.

Agreed!. Ohh...you meant the cormorants?

[Pharmboy]

Well, Coeccles Harbor on Shelter Island and the Sound at Southold. I would occasionally see a few together on a rock, but they seemed mostly solitary fishers. This was about ten years ago.

[Pharmboy]

Excellent comment. You know, of course, that you make much too much sense to have any impact.

[Pharmboy]

Ya got me! I'm a believer now...thanks.

[freepatriot32]

ping

[Reo]

"How long will it take for the walleyes to come back in reasonable numbers?"

In addition to the cormorant removal program, the DNR is stocking Leech with walleye fry for the next three years. This past week they put 7.5 million fry in the water, of which they expect 15 to 30% to survive and grow to 5 or 6" long by September. Several years from now, when they reach game fish size, the surviving percentage will have dropped to about 1% to 2%. Recovery to pre-cormorant fishing conditions is expected to take 5 years or more. As a long-time resident of the area,I'm happy to write that the DNR, the tribe, and the local community have done an excellent job of addressing this problem. As for the hand-wringers who would continue to delay and study and delay and study some more, they are, as Don Rumsfeld would say: "Not helpful".

[Nathan Zachary]

If you prefer sewage eating bullhead to what is considered the best eating freshwater fish in the world, there is something wrong with you.
Mud-pout, (that's what bullheads are called around these parts)
are a nuisance fish that not only eat crap, they eat the eggs of better fish. Even the cormorants won't eat them.

[freepatriot32]

"Kill them all," he says of the voracious, predatory birds.

[Mikey_1962]

check this site out:

http://www.junkscience.com/ddtfaq.htm#ref7

[Pharmboy]

Thanks...I figgered there'd be a Freeper with firsthand knowledge of the situation.

[Roccus]

Since you're on the East end, try Gardiners, Plum, Gull and Little Gull islands. Actually, any old jetty or rock outcropping that is cut off from human access. In the late afternoon you will see them drying their wings in the sun.
I fished those waters for 50+yrs. and know they're there.
In small lakes and ponds, where the supply of fish is limited, a single bird can be devastating

[tubebender]

A fishy story...

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I'm with you on the walleyes.
Watervillians are fiercely proud of their croaking bullheads, though. They have a festival every summer (for Iowans, or so I'm told.)

[headstamp]

Yes, mostly the method of control here is by spraying the eggs with vegetable oil so they don't hatch. The DEC/F&W staff almost have to go out in the dead of night in Ninja suits so the word doesn't get out about it to the "Vivian Vance soup pot bangers".LOL Otherwise, the Anthropomorphic lunacy begins.

Take care

[Jhensy]

Hope they take out a few starlings while they're at it.

For whatever reason, lots of "large" birdlife (and wildlife) have made quite a comeback in the Northeast in the last 20-30 years. Not just cormorants -- red-tailed hawks, turkeys, egrets, herons, etc. are pretty common now here in suburbia. They were rare sightings when I was a kid.

Other big comebacks: Bears, coyotes, bobcats, and the deer are out of control.