Hamilton destroys bird habitat to promote sport fishery. Angling no longer popular
Funding as been provided by Dofasco Steel to destroy Farr Island, an artificial rock shoal that has been claimed by thousands of nesting colonial waterbirds such as cormorants and terns to promote a sport fishery.
The intentional destruction of established colonial waterbird habitat by an American company in Canadian waters and endorsed by Hamilton City Council to promote a sport fishery demonstrates an astounding ignorance of aquatic ecology.
Bluntly stated, the move is to eliminate fish predators to enhance sport fisheries. Both terns and cormorants are fish eating birds.
Dofasco and the City of Hamilton are unaware that sport hunting and fishing are in decline in Ontario and across North America.
In Ontario, sport hunters now represent approximately 3 percent of the overall population down from 3.5 percent in 1996. Sport fishing has suffered steep declines. As of 2009, there were 931,445 licensed anglers in Ontario according to the Ministry of Natural Resources, representing less than 10 percent of Ontario’s 13 million residents. In 1996, approximately 1.561.000 people partcipated in sport fishing and anglers reprented 17.2 percent of Ontario's population. (Source: The Importance of Nature to Canadians: Survey Highlights, Environment Canada 1999)
According to the Department of Oceans and Fisheries Canada, angling popularity in Ontario has declined by 1.137.902 participants since 1990.
The decline has slowed in the last decade as governments anxiously recruit new participants but new recruits are unlikely to offset the predicted landslide decline anticipated as aging sport hunters and anglers retire from the sport.
Therefore Hamilton City Council should stop destroying valuable bird habitat in favour of fish habitat. Each wildlife species contributes equally to the health of the aquatic ecosystem.
Read More:
Hamilton Spectator: Port Authority says ‘bye-bye-birdies’
Statistics Canada Report - Gone Fishing: A profile of recreational fishing in Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada: Recreational Fisheries in Canada 1990 - 2005 survey
Fishing Facts
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