It's not uncommon for Peter Gumbrell to see items dumped on the side of the road while out on his regular walks. But last week’s find was unusual.
While walking along Forest Avenue, south of Lankin Boulevard, he came across about seven dead cormorants and some shotgun shell boxes.
“It was sort of surprising to see them there. I was surprised someone brought them out off the lake,” he said.
The province has approved the hunting of double-crested cormorants. The season began Sept. 15 and runs until Dec. 31.
Some of those opposed to the hunt had expressed concerns about the disposal of the dead birds.
Gumbrell feels the hunt is “ill conceived.”
“I’m not sure there is a lot of scientific evidence for the hunt. If there is, oiling the eggs is probably the way to go,” he said, adding the province should also have a means of keeping track of how many cormorants are culled.
The province declared open season on double-crested cormorants “as an additional tool to help address concerns about cormorant impacts to local ecosystems,” said Jolanta Kowalski, spokesperson with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF).
“Hunters must retrieve harvested birds immediately and take them to an approved waste disposal site that permits disposal of dead animals or a licensed disposal facility,” she said. “The birds can be buried on private land with permission of the owner. Hunters may also use the services of a licensed collector.”
Those who dispose of the cormorants improperly, like dumping them in a ditch, could face a $150 fine.
“In more serious circumstances, an offender could be taken to court. If convicted under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, the person could be fined up to $25,000, receive a term of imprisonment of not more than one year, or both,” Kowalski said.
“The justice presiding over the court will determine the penalty based on all relevant factors, including the number of cormorants shot over the legal bag limit, where the birds were discarded if disposed of illegally, and the compliance history of the person charged.”
She said the MNRF is aware of and looking into the recent incident in Orillia. Anyone with information is asked to call the MNRF tips line at 1-877-847-7667.
The City of Orillia’s legislative services department received a call about the cormorants on the side of Forest Avenue on Sept. 18. Staff attended and removed the carcasses.
The city’s roads staff regularly collects and disposes of dead animals — usually roadkill — on public property, but not private property.
The city is also reminding people of the rules around discharging firearms in town.
The discharging of firearms is not allowed in the city. There are exemptions for police who are on duty or training, a person protecting life and property as permitted by the federal Criminal Code and provincial statutes, and a gun club member firing at an approved site.
“You will note that there is no exemption for hunting. The fine for violating the bylaw can be up to $5,000, and this bylaw is primarily enforced by the OPP,” said the city's legislative services manager, Shawn Crawford.
