For Immediate Release

Animal protection groups fight for right to
bear witness to the killing of thousands of cormorants in provincial park

Groups challenge MNR’s 200 metre water exclusion zone.

Toronto Ontario’s leading animal protection groups have challenged the Ministry of Natural Resource’s legal authority to keep activists away from the cormorant cull in Presqu’ile Provincial Park. Animal Alliance, the Animal Protection Institute, Canadians for Snow Geese, Earthroots, Environment Voters, Peaceful Parks Coalition and Zoocheck are among the many organizations that oppose the Ministry’s plans to kill up to 5500 Double-crested Cormorants in the bird sanctuary this spring.

Located on Lake Ontario just south of Brighton, Presqu'ile was home to the largest, most diverse bird colony in the Great Lakes. Birders visit there to view Great Blue Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons, Double-crested Cormorants, Ring-billed Gulls and other species.  It has been designated as an internationally Important Bird Area (IBA), in part because of the very colony that is now under the gun.

Killing this native bird is a complete contradiction of park values and a significant waste of money and priorities, says Liz White, Executive Director of Animal Alliance of Canada.Once again the Ministry is catering to its client group - the hook and bullet crowd who have been screaming for these massive culls.

The controversial cull will result in the use of all terrain vehicles on the island, habitat destruction to compost 5,500 or 27,500 pounds of dead cormorants and the discharge of a minimum of 5,500 lead bullets into a sensitive environment." said Julie Woodyer, Campaigns Director, Zoocheck Canada.

The Ministry can’t go into a mixed-species colony and attempt to eradicate one species without disturbing all of them," says bird expert Barry Kent MacKay, Canadian Representative of the Animal Protection Institute.

Indications are that this is exactly what has happened: a large, dynamic colony of mixed bird species is being destroyed, in a provincial park, in a bird sanctuary." Last year’s cull was criticized by ornithologists and other naturalists for disturbing the herons and egrets, which nest side by side with the cormorants.

Toronto City Council set an important ecological example by welcoming the cormorants to the Leslie Street Spit"said Ainslie

Ironically, the Ministry has tried to restrict public access within 200 metres from Gull and High BluffIslands to protect the sensitive colonial birds from human disturbance during the breeding season. "This really begs the question - what is the McGuinty government's definition of a protected area when legislation established to protect the birds is only used to enable more harm to them?" says Earthroots’ campaigner, Melissa Tkachyk who was charged with trespassing the 200 metre zone last year to film the cull. Last spring, the Ministry killed 6030 cormorants on the islands in the park and dumped the 15000 lbs of dead birds using ATVs on the very island they are claiming to protect. <

For further information please contact: Animal Alliance of Canada - (416) 462-9541 (cell)Bird contact: Barry Kent MacKay, Animal Protection Institute - (905) 472-9731 (work), Ainslie Willock, Director, Canadians for Snow Geese – (416) 922 4554, Melissa Tkachyk, Wilderness Campaigner, Earthroots - (416) 819-7424 (cell), Julie Woodyer, Campaigns Director, Zoocheck Canada – (416) 285 1744.