Which EU countries are advocating for relaxed cormorant culling rules?

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Nine EU Member States Urge Easing of Cormorant Culling Regulations

Nine European Union member states have formally requested a relaxation of the regulations governing the culling of cormorants. These nations, including Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Sweden, communicated their concerns to Brussels in May, seeking to manage the continent's cormorant population at what they deem "an ecologically and economically acceptable level."
Cormorant Population Growth and Impact

The great cormorant, once near extinction, has seen a significant population recovery over the past fifty years, leading to an estimated two million birds across Europe by 2026. This resurgence has caused considerable distress among fishing communities, who report substantial losses due to the birds' predatory habits. Fishers describe cormorants as capable of depleting entire fish populations in unfrozen waters or causing damage that prevents reproduction. Instances of large flocks descending on fishing grounds have been likened to a "chainsaw massacre," with reports from Romania alone indicating millions of fish lost annually to cormorant predation.
Historical Context of Protection and Current Concerns

Cormorants were granted protected status in 1979, a measure that followed efforts in previous decades to systematically reduce their numbers, which had brought the species close to extinction with only a few thousand breeding pairs remaining by the early 1960s. However, the current abundance has raised concerns for these nine member states, who argue that the protected status, coupled with factors such as overfishing in the Baltic Sea and a lack of natural fish habitats, has contributed to an unsustainable population level. They contend that the birds have effectively replaced larger predators and that the current ecosystem allows for their unchecked multiplication.
Proposed Solutions and Conservationist Views

While both fishing representatives and conservationists acknowledge that large flocks of migratory birds cause the most significant damage, their proposed solutions diverge. Fishermen advocate for more direct human intervention, with suggestions like oiling cormorant eggs to prevent hatching as an efficient method of population control at breeding sites. Conservationists, while not entirely dismissing the practice of shooting cormorants under existing exceptions to deter them from specific areas, emphasize a more nuanced approach. They suggest identifying "sensitive" fish protection zones for deterrent shooting and question the feasibility and effectiveness of large-scale measures due to the birds' intelligence and adaptability. Conservationists also point to habitat restoration, such as reducing river-clearing operations to provide better hiding places for fish, as a complementary strategy.

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Which EU countries are advocating for relaxed cormorant culling rules?

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