Cormorants Management in the Beaver Island Archipelago 2010

Jeffrey F. Powers DVM President Beaver Island Wildlife Club

Whiskey Island

Statewide Cormorant Management Progress

• Overall statewide significant reduction in cormorant numbers

• Excellent rebound in Perch fishery in Les Cheneaux islands proven to be directly related to cormorant predation by MDNR biologist Dave Fielder, Upper Peninsula Sportsmen's Alliance identified cormorant management as a top priority

• 2009 – Establishment of a Statewide cormorant coordination committee by Michigan DNR, bringing together DNR, USDA-WS, leadership groups statewide, MUCC, tribal and other stakeholders– Provides better integration of resources– Identified the Beaver Island Archipelago as the number one area

to intensify control efforts– 2010 This group established a system to protect stocking sites

by informing local volunteers of DNR fisheries fish plants to provide protection for the stocked fish at these sites.

Cormorants Predatory to All Fish Species

Lake Geneserath Walleye 2010

Predatory on Inland and Great Lakes each bird consumes up to 1.5# fish per day

St James Harbor Small mouthed Bass Regurgitated

Lake Geneserath Bluegills

2009 Economic Impact of Cormorants Quantified

• Cormorant Damage cost the Oneida Lake Region in New York between 6 million and 33 million dollars in damage every year, and between 200 and 800 jobs per year•Cormorant control efforts brought a return to the local economy of between 15 to 40 dollars for every dollar spent on cormorant control•These control measures saved between 1500 and 5000 jobs from 1990 to 2005 in this region

Cormorant Management in 2010Key Points

• Overall a 40% reduction in cormorant nest counts from 11549 in 2006 to 6627 in 2010.

• Ability to egg oil Hat Island to achieve the largest single cormorant control measure event by oiling over 4500 nests, in total 7616 nests were oiled in the Beaver Island Archipelago.

• Expanding colony at Whiskey Island, commenced management now under local jurisdiction island is owned by St James Township

WS-MI DCCO removal 2010

Spring MigrationIndian Lk 49

Manistique Lk 4

S. Manistique 0

Beaver Isl. 11

Brevoort Lk 31

Les Cheneaux 41

Drummond 158

Grand Lk 2

Long Lk 26

Total = 322

Nesting colonies

Bays de Noc 1,201

Les Cheneaux 700

Thunder Bay 739

Beaver Is 3,779

Ludington 187

Total = 6,606

2010 Total 6,928 (9,518)

Nests oiled 9,056 (4,430)

Stocking Sites

Ausable River (SH) 0

Thunder Bay (BT) 0

Ocqueoc River (SH) 0

Total = 0

Hat Island pre cormorant InvasionIsland (1970’s) had a lush exterior and a central less forested area that had been used as a test site during WWII. Home to dozens of species of birds.

Hat Island 2010USDA-WS was given authority to access the island

being careful to avoid Caspian Tern colony

Island Vegetation destroyed due to cormorant waste

Cooperative Effort between USDA WS and local deputized volunteers

Other islands in the Archipelago

• Egg oiling and lethal control continued at Gull Island, Pismire Island and a limited amount of control began at Whiskey Island

Whiskey Island tree nests causing deforestation

Gull Island increase in tree nests

Concerns for Cormorant Control in 2011

• Federal funding for cormorant control in serious jeopardy in current budget discussions

• EA for Michigan will allow for a larger cormorant take (from 10,500 to close to 20,000 birds) however the resources to carry this out have not increased

• Hat Island has been closed out of 2011 cormorant control measures therefore severely limiting the ability to continue the level of control as directed by 2009 MDNR Cormorant coordination committee. Legislators should contact Mark Vaniman, Seney Wildlife Refuge Manager and ask him for the data to validate this measure.

• Whiskey Island may be being switched to state control and it will be imperative to grant permission to USDA-WS to continue control efforts on this island, as the colony is expanding with tree nesting cormorants

• Imperative that State officials take an active role in overseeing the continued progress in cormorant control measures to ensure that progress to date is not stalled, curtailed or reversed.

Cormorant Funding

• 2004 = $125,000 ($103,000)

• 2005 = $150,000 ($117,000)

• 2006 = $200,000 ($160,000)

• 2007 = $200,000 ($160,000) + $150,000 State MI

• 2008 = $160,000 ($120,000)

• 2009 = $148,000 ($111,000)

• 2010 = $148,000 ($111,000)

• 2011 = $148,000 ($111,000) +$20,000 State MI

• 2012 = GLRI funds?, USDA funds?, State funds?

Respectfully Submitted Jeffrey F Powers D.V.M.