§ Lord Mason of Barnsleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What estimates have been made of the number of cormorants overwintering on large reservoirs in the United Kingdom during each of the last three years; and what complaints they have received from reservoir and still water managers and from trout farms of damage being caused to trout stocks.
Earl HoweNo figures are readily available of the number of cormorants overwintering on large reservoirs in the United Kingdom over the last three years. However, a report by the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology estimates that the population of cormorants overwintering in Britain has been increasing at a rate of 4 per cent, per year and currently stands at approximately 20,000 birds. The proportion wintering inland on rivers, lakes and reservoirs has increased markedly in recent years.
36WAOf the 36 representations received by MAFF from fishery owners and organisations, not all have sepcified the type of fishery that is suffering from cormorant predation. Of those that have, six specifically mention reservoirs or still waters; 13 refer to damage to trout stocks, although none are from trout farms.