I am sure that a good deal of scientific work has been done on the effect of cormorant, herons, etc. on ponds. Does anyone here know how much real damage they are likely to do to the fishing in a sporting pond? What size fish are they generally eating? How many bluegill would they have to eat to make a real difference?
I have to confess to having a lot of sympathy with Norm's POV. We enjoy having a pair of greater blues and one or two green herons around, but I have been under the impression that they eat only small fish and that the mainstay of their diet is frogs, etc. We only have rare cormorant passing through here, but I enjoy watching them catch fish as much as I do catching them, myself. Kingfishers are a hoot to watch. We also have goldeneye ducks in the winter. I am sure they eat their share of fish, but they are a laugh on a grey winter day.
I am not speaking ill of those who are infested with dozens of cormorants and want to do something about it, but one or two??? I started hunting before I started to school, but I have never been proud to shoot anything I couldn't eat. Above all, we need some facts from our experts on the effects of these birds.
Lou
