Wildlife

Cormorant Welfare in Fisheries Management Conflicts

Cormorants have recovered from near-extinction in the UK and now face conflict with angling and fish farming interests, with welfare implications for licensed culling programmes.

Key Facts

UK cormorant population recovered from around 3000 pairs in the 1960s to over 8000 pairs
Licensed culling is permitted to protect inland fisheries under specific conditions
Research shows culling has limited effectiveness in reducing fish losses
Protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act as a Schedule 1 species
Create significant conflict at inland fisheries and fish farms

Welfare Considerations

Cormorants killed under licence experience individual welfare harm that must be weighed against genuine fisheries protection needs. Research suggests non-lethal deterrents are often as effective as culling. The welfare case for exhausting non-lethal options before lethal control is strong and increasingly supported by evidence.

What You Can Do

Support research into non-lethal cormorant deterrence methods
Advocate for evidence-based fisheries management that minimises lethal control
Appreciate cormorants as successful conservation recovery stories
Record cormorant sightings at inland sites for BTO monitoring
Engage constructively with fisheries management debates recognising welfare dimensions