How cormorant populations are managed in conflict with fisheries, and the welfare implications of lethal control and non-lethal deterrence.
Cormorant management represents a wildlife-fisheries conflict where both lethal and non-lethal approaches involve welfare considerations. Shooting cormorants, when accurate, can be instantly lethal, but wounded birds that escape suffer significantly. Non-lethal deterrence including scaring devices and pond netting prevents killing but can cause significant behavioral disturbance. Nesting cormorant colonies are vulnerable to disturbance during breeding, causing egg abandonment and chick loss. The welfare analysis supports prioritizing non-lethal approaches where they are effective, with lethal control as a last resort conducted to high welfare standards.