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Abstract
For almost two decades Little Galloo Island (LGI) has supported a large colony of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) in the eastern basin of Lake Ontario. Cormorant nest counts on the island since the early 1990's have averaged 4,297 per year. However, less than 2,000 pairs have nested on the island in three of the past five years. The highest count was reached in 1996 with 8,410 nesting pairs on the island. Johnson et al. (2013) estimated that cormorants from LGI alone have consumed 504 million fish since 1992. The proliferation of cormorants in the eastern basin of Lake Ontario coincided with declines in two important recreational fish species, smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolemieu) and yellow perch (Perca falvescens). Lantry et al. (2002) and Burnett et al. (2002) provide convincing evidence linking cormorant population increases to declining eastern basin smallmouth bass and yellow perch stocks. Decline of these fish stocks was evident only in the eastern basin, suggesting a localized problem, which is consistent with the halo effect where large piscivorous waterbird colonies may deplete local fish stocks (Birt et al. 1987). The year 2013 marked the twenty second consecutive year of study of the food habits and fish consumption of LGI cormorants and the fifteenth consecutive year evaluating the efficacy of management activities to control the reproductive success of cormorants nesting at LGI. The program consists mainly of spraying cormorant eggs with food grade vegetable oil as well as the culling of adult and immature birds. This paper reports the findings of work carried out in 2013 at LGI.
Study Area
Publication type | Report |
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Publication Subtype | State or Local Government Series |
Title | Double-crested Cormorant studies at Little Galloo Island, Lake Ontario in 2013: Diet composition, fish consumption and the efficacy of management activities in reducing fish predation |
Series title | NYSDEC Lake Ontario Annual Report |
Series number | 2013 |
Chapter | 14 |
Year Published | 2014 |
Language | English |
Publisher | New York State Department of Environmental Conservation |
Publisher location | Albany, NY |
Contributing office(s) | Great Lakes Science Center |
Description | 11 p. |
Larger Work Type | Report |
Larger Work Subtype | State or Local Government Series |
Larger Work Title | 2013 Annual report: Bureau of Fisheries, Lake Ontario unit and St. Lawrence River unit, to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s Lake Ontario Committee |
First page | 14-1 |
Last page | 14-11 |
Conference Title | Lake Ontario Committee Meeting |
Conference Location | Windsor, ON |
Conference Date | March 26-27, 2014 |
Country | United States |
State | New York |
County | Jefferson County |
Other Geospatial | Little Galloo Island |
Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |