Salmon and Trout Association: Wildlife Management

S&TA does not believe any environment should be managed for just one species. Ecosystems and their dependent species should be managed holistically based on evidence from sound science.

Cormorants and Predation

Fish-Eating Birds

For more than a decade, fish-eating birds have been a major concern for anglers, fishery owners and fish farmers. Few topics have aroused more passion.

The S&TA, through the Moran Committee, have taken the initiative to form a working group with the Environment Agency, English Nature and the RSPB (liaising with DEFRA officials) to develop a co-operative approach to the problem that will be almost impossible for the Government to ignore. In other words, we have chosen dialogue rather than confrontation.

This approach may frustrate some, but endlessly shouting about shooting large numbers of cormorants simply will not wash with this, or any other, Government, unless efforts are made to combat the which has to take account of what legislation actually says - cormorants are protected by the EU Birds Directive and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and unlicensed shooting is a prosecutable offence. We also recognise that we cannot persuade the Government of the need to take responsibility to develop an effective strategy to manage bird predation without the full support and co-operation of conservation interests.

As a first step, the working group has produced a fact sheet on cormorants aimed at informing those concerned the real facts about the birds and their impact on fisheries. This leaflet can be downloaded here or email us for a hard copy.

For further information see;

Protecting Your Fishery from Cormorants a management guide March 2006
Cormorants the Facts March 2006