Cormorants competing with aquaculture and fishing interests face legal and illegal persecution, while their welfare depends on the availability of appropriate fish prey.
Cormorants in conflict zones face both legal licensed killing and illegal shooting and poisoning. Individual birds that survive non-lethal deterrent devices may be injured or disrupted from foraging sites, causing nutritional stress. The conflict represents a genuine tension between wildlife welfare and economic interests. Effective non-lethal deterrents that reduce both economic harm and lethal control use serve both interests better than escalating lethal responses.