Written question asked by Charles Walker (Conservative) on Monday, 13 June 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 16 June 2011. It was answered by Lord Benyon (Conservative) on Monday, 5 September 2011 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Cormorants

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the number of cormorants which roost and feed inshore; and what steps she (a) has taken and (b) is considering to control their numbers.

Answer: [holding answer 16 June 2011]: The most recently published figures from ““The Wetland Bird Survey”” relating to cormorants counted outside the breeding season are for the year 2008-09. Coastal and inland counts are not reported separately so figures for the number of cormorants which roost and feed inshore are therefore not available. Maximum counts outside of the breeding season were reported of 17,149 in Great Britain in September 2008, and of 1,619 in December 2008.No steps have been taken to control cormorant numbers at a national level. Where cormorants come into conflict with inland fisheries Natural England may issue licenses to lethally control cormorants. Licences to shoot cormorants, typically as an aid to scaring, are issued on a case by case basis at sites where there is evidence of serious damage to fisheries, or a risk of serious damage occurring, and all other practical alternatives have been tried and have failed.Recognising concerns raised by anglers and fishery managers, I announced at the Angling and Fisheries summit on 25 January that the Government are to carry out a review of the current policy in relation to managing the impact of predation on inland fisheries from fish-eating birds, including cormorants. Once completed the outcomes of the review will be made publicly available.

Secondary information