Cormorant Management and Aquaculture Conflicts

Great cormorants at fish farms and rivers are killed in large numbers under derogation licenses, with welfare concerns about killing methods and the effectiveness of lethal versus non-lethal management.

Key Facts

England issues approximately 3,000 cormorant shooting licenses annually under derogation from general protection
Cormorant populations in England have grown from under 10,000 in 1970 to over 40,000 today
Studies show lethal control has limited long-term population effect as shooting creates vacant territories quickly filled
Scaring devices, overhead lines, and habitat modification reduce cormorant damage without lethal control
Cormorants dive to 45 meters and can empty small fish ponds within days

Welfare Considerations

Cormorants shot under derogation licenses may be wounded but not retrieved, causing prolonged suffering from ballistic injuries. Wounded birds that escape may die slowly from infection. The welfare case against lethal cormorant management is strengthened by evidence that it is ineffective at population level — killing cormorants at one site typically displaces birds to adjacent areas. Non-lethal deterrents have been shown to protect fish farm stocks without the welfare cost of lethal control, making the continued reliance on shooting a welfare problem with available alternatives.

What You Can Do

Support non-lethal cormorant management approaches at fish farms and rivers
Advocate for evidence-based review of cormorant culling licenses that prioritizes non-lethal alternatives
Engage fisheries management bodies on the evidence that lethal cormorant control has limited population effect
Support cormorant research programs that develop effective non-lethal deterrents