Cormorant Welfare and Fisheries Conflict

Great cormorants face lethal control programmes in many countries due to perceived competition with anglers, raising welfare and ecological questions about management approaches.

Key Facts

UK cormorant population has grown from under 5,000 in 1970 to over 40,000
Licensed shooting of cormorants occurs at fisheries to reduce predation pressure
Research shows cormorant predation impact on fish stocks is generally modest
Cormorants are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act with shooting requiring specific licences
Non-lethal deterrents including scarers and physical exclusions are underutilised alternatives

Welfare Considerations

Cormorant welfare in management contexts involves both the welfare of shot birds and the questionable justification for lethal control: shooting cormorants imposes direct welfare harm on individual birds, while the evidence that they significantly damage fisheries is contested. Non-lethal deterrence is effective but requires more management effort than shooting. The welfare case for exhausting non-lethal alternatives before resorting to lethal control is strong — and aligns with the legal requirement for licences to justify necessity.

What You Can Do

Support evidence-based cormorant management that prioritises non-lethal deterrence
Report suspicious cormorant killing without licences to Natural England
Advocate for stronger evidence requirements before cormorant shooting licences are granted
Support wetland conservation that provides alternative cormorant foraging habitats
Engage with angling organisations on coexistence approaches to cormorant management