Europe Weighs Cormorant Cull as Fish-Eating Bird Sparks Growing Dispute
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Brussels : European countries are considering culling cormorants as fishermen and fish farmers warn that booming populations of the fish-eating birds are causing heavy losses to fish stocks and threatening livelihoods.
The great cormorant, once close to disappearing in parts of Europe, has made a strong recovery after decades of legal protection. Conservation success has seen its population rise sharply, fuelling tensions with the fishing industry.
Fishing groups say the birds consume large quantities of fish each day and are damaging commercial fisheries and freshwater ecosystems. Several countries are now pushing for greater flexibility to control cormorant numbers, including through limited culls.
Conservationists, however, argue that the birds remain a protected species under European law and say habitat loss, pollution, and overfishing and not cormorants alone are the main reasons behind declining fish populations.
The European Commission is reviewing the issue as member states seek a balance between protecting wildlife and safeguarding the fishing industry.
Pic Credit: AFP
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