hello tweets,

fish-eating birds, particularly cormorants, are now being threatened
with death for simply being ... fish-eating birds! it's odd how the
the fish and the birds co-existed beautifully before industrialized
humans (fishery excesses, farm pollutants and overt habitat destruction
resulting from the "forestry" and mining industries) all got involved.
now, instead of cleaning up our own act, we blame (and wantonly kill)
birds. what will we destroy next in the name of "protecting" our natural
resources?

regards,

Devorah A. N. Bennu, PhD
email:nyneve at amnh.org or nyneve at myUW.net
work page http://research.amnh.org/ornithology/personnel/bennu.htm
personal pages http://research.amnh.org/users/nyneve/

---------- Forwarded message ----------

FWD from From Lewis Crowell, East Aurora, NY

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), disregarding the pleas of
leading ornithologists and conservationists, is proposing to allow
the killing of unlimited numbers of Double-crested Cormorants in 24
states. This new rule would set a dangerous precedent for the
potential slaughter of other birds such as Caspian Terns, herons,
mergansers and even kingfishers, based largely on unsubstantiated
and unscientific claims that the birds deplete fishing resources.

Go here http://www.saveourbirds.org to Stop This Proposed Rule

Yes, cormorants, herons, egrets and kingfishers eat fish and have for
millennia, with both fish and birds flourishing. In the 19th century,
Cormorants were relentlessly persecuted, substantially reducing
populations.. . . Cormorants are being made the scapegoat for
fishery declines while the real reasons - over-fishing, pollution,
destruction of habitat and dams - go unchecked. . . . In the few
instances where cormorants do cause problems to sport fisheries,
current regulations already allow for their control under FWS-issued
permits.

The new rule, if implemented, could lead to the killing of hundreds
of thousands of birds. The slaughter and the destruction of nests,
eggs, and young without a permit could occur if Cormorants are found
by a state or federal agency to be "injurious to public resources".
This means that when Cormorants eat fish from any public waters, an
agency could shoot, snap the necks of, or gas unlimited numbers
without another agency (the FWS) exercising independent scientific
review and judgment in issuing a permit, as must be done now.

WHAT CAN YOU DO: So far, misguided corporate and fishing interests
have overwhelmed scientists and conservationists in commenting on
the FWS cormorant management proposal. (Where are the birders??
Your voice will help shift the balance back in favor of reasoned
science and environmental protection. Without your intervention NOW,
this killing could escalate and other species will be next.) Please
take a moment to send an automatic message via email to the public
comment docket saying NO to the proposed depredation order. Comments
are due by May 16, so please don't hesitate.
------------------------------------------------------