Feds Reissue Cormorant Killing Order, Expanding Authority to 12 More States and Private Pond Managers

This bill, specifically Section 2 of the Cormorant Relief Act of 2025, directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to bring back a rule allowing the killing of double-crested cormorants to protect fish stocks. The key change? This reissued "depredation order" (originally found in federal regulation 50 CFR 21.47) now applies to twelve additional states, including California, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio, among others. It also newly grants authority to licensed private lake and pond managers to take action against these birds, putting them on the same footing as aquaculture facilities.

Wider Net: Who Can Act and Where

Essentially, this legislation expands the geographic reach and the types of managers authorized to control cormorant populations perceived as threats to fish. Previously focused primarily on commercial aquaculture sites in certain states, the order now covers private lakes and ponds in a much larger area. For aquaculture businesses and private pond owners in these states, this means official permission to manage cormorant predation, potentially reducing fish losses. However, broadening this authority raises questions about potential impacts on cormorant populations across these regions and the ecological role these birds play. The expansion means more individuals, including those managing recreational or private waters, will have the federal go-ahead to kill cormorants without needing individual permits for each action, relying instead on the conditions set forth in the reissued order.