This is not exactly the circle of life for wildlife birds, the double-crested cormorants. Rather, the man-made plan has spelled out the demise of at least 11,000 of the birds to save the lives of the salmon and steelhead populations. The Army Corps of Engineers released a final Environment Impact Statement (EIS) explaining the birds have become problematic in preserving the salmon and steelhead species. The plan will be assisted as the fish will be included on the Endangered Species Act. The plans outlined by the agency has animal activists seeing red.
Spokeswoman, Diana Fredlund, from the Army Corps said the decision is not an easy one, and it has taken the agency a “long time” to come to the decision, and they consulted with experts before finalizing the plan.
Over the next few years, officials will be looking to eliminate 11,000 cormorants, by first pouring oil over the nests of the birds. This would abort the hatching process. The actions have not begun, but once approved, officials will begin the oil dropping shortly after. Army Corps officials advised they have reviewed alternatives such as “hazing” the birds to a new home, but fears that plan will be unsuccessful. That will leave little left for the agency to do but to begin a killing process.
Atop of the 11,000 birds scheduled for elimination, 26,000 nests would also be destroyed as part of the plan. The National Audubon Society is demanding an investigation to reveal additional reasons the salmon population is rapidly declining, including the loss of natural habitats.
The Society believes the Army Corps are using the birds as nothing more than a scapegoat from the situation, instead of delving further to determine the decline of population. The organization has promised to fight the plan, and said they would take it before the courts if the Army Corps passed the plan to eliminate the birds.
Fredlund said the plan is the safest route, otherwise if they wait until 2018, more than 18,000 birds would have to be destroyed. The population of the cormorants have remained strong, but officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Army Corps want the numbers cut to half or even less by 2018. The news has disturbed bird and animal lovers who support the stance of the Audubon Society.
Officials for the plan points to the National Marine Fisheries Service who believes the plan is needed to protect the population of the fish.