WHY IS THE DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT A PROBLEM - INSIGHTS FROM CORMORANT ECOLOGY AND HUMAN SOCIOLOGY

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae have a long history of conflict with fish ermen and more recently with fish-farmers. Cormorant species tend to b e opportunistic, adaptable, and highly attracted to concentrated food sources. At the population level, there is little evidence to suggest that cormorants seriously deplete commercial food sources, although at small scales, individuals or small numbers of cormorants may cause pr oblems, especially at fish farming operations or hatcheries. On the ot her hand, despite a high potential rate of population increase, cormor ants are among the more sensitive seabirds to human disturbance during breeding. Control measures would be very effective at breeding sites, but it is nor clear that such efforts would remove the proportion of the population likely to be in direct conflict with humans, except at colonies adjacent to fish farms.