The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking information to assess the scope and scale of the best available data relating to double-crested cormorant (DCCO) and free-swimming fish populations. There is no universal agreement at this time on the definition of free-swimming fish, so for this effort we will take information on any fish that occur naturally or are stocked and allowed to swim relatively unconfined in a body of water.
Specifically, we are looking for reports/data that can address the following:
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Information from monitoring/research that show or suggest a relationship (including no relationship), between:
- DCCO predation and the status of a specific fish population (abundance, biomass, age/size class structure, reproductive potential)
- DCCO predation and fish species composition in a specific body of water (or area within a large water body)
- Lethal take of DCCO and the subsequent response by fish populations
- Lethal take of DCCO and effects on DCCO numbers and/or distribution
- Abundance of DCCO and effects on recreational fishing participation
- Populations of fish that cormorants prey on and other ecosystem parameters (e.g., water quality, invasive species, non-avian predators, etc.).
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Data on the economic value of the fish that were lost due to DCCO predation
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Other information such as:
- Raw data
- Summary data
- Peer-reviewed literature
- Report/gray literature
Please note that the information you provide will not be made publicly available. However, we may need to release the data if requested through formal government procedures. Submittal of information is purely voluntary, and will not directly inform a management decision, nor is it connected or related to any current federal action.
If you have information to contribute, please fill out the information below and click "Proceed." If you believe you have information but would rather talk to us than upload your information, please contact Lesley_Kordella@fws.gov.