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

Lake Geneserath Bluegills

St James Harbor Small mouthed Bass
Regurgitated
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 2010
Key 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 Migration Stocking Sites Nesting colonies
Indian Lk 49
Ausable River (SH) 0 Bays de Noc 1,201
Manistique Lk 4
S. Manistique 0 Thunder Bay (BT) 0 Les Cheneaux 700
Beaver Isl. 11 Ocqueoc River (SH) 0 Thunder Bay 739
Brevoort Lk 31 Beaver Is 3,779
Les Cheneaux 41 Ludington 187
Drummond 158 Total = 0
Grand Lk 2
Long Lk 26
Total = 6,606

Total = 322 2010 Total 6,928 (9,518)

Nests oiled 9,056 (4,430)
Hat Island pre cormorant Invasion
Island (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 2010
USDA-WS was given authority to access the island
being careful to avoid Caspian Tern colony

Island Vegetation destroyed due Cooperative Effort between USDA WS

to cormorant waste 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 Gull Island increase in tree

deforestation 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.