Cormorants and their acidic poop are causing a stink on Toronto islands. What can be done? | CBC Radio

"Rome is burning, and the bureaucrats are fiddling. Each year it gets worse and worse, with more carnage and death to the trees, said Warren Hoselton, who worked on the islands as the park supervisor for over two decades. We manage Canada geese, we manage beavers and we're letting these guys have at it. Around 18,000 double-crested cormorants have made Hanlan's Point their home, close to a public docking area."

"The bird poop called guano is responsible for turning what was a tree-filled, green shore line into something you might see in a dystopian film. And in this one, the cormorants are the villains. It's hard not to describe it as an apocalyptic scene for a forest, said Gordon Ballantyne, the general manager at the Toronto Island Marina. Ballantyne says he used to see up to 140 boats tied up along the public docking at Hanlan's Point on a long weekend."

Approximately 18,000 double-crested cormorants now occupy Hanlan's Point, with the colony reportedly tripling in size in the last year according to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. The birds produce acidic guano that bleaches and destroys trees, causing significant tree mortality and transforming previously green shorelines into degraded, dystopian-looking areas. Guano also covers boats and public docking areas, reducing recreational use and marina activity. Residents and marina operators want the birds relocated, but relocation and active management are complicated by logistical, legal and conservation considerations as officials weigh ecological roles against urban parkland protection.

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