Why It Matters: Overabundant double-crested cormorant populations can create localized challenges for fisheries, aquaculture facilities, and riparian habitats. Companion legislation now in both chambers of the U.S. Congress would give states more flexibility to address those impacts within a framework designed to maintain overall cormorant populations at healthy levels.
Highlights:
- Senators Ted Cruz (TX) and Katie Britt (AL) introduced the Responsible Cormorant Management and Control Act of 2026 in the Senate this week.
- The House companion, H.R. 8195, introduced by Representative Tim Walberg (MI), advanced unanimously out of the House Natural Resources Committee on September 15.
Senators Cruz and Britt introduced the Senate companion to H.R. 8195 on September 24, adding momentum to an effort to improve the management of double-crested cormorants. This Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) priority legislation would direct the Department of the Interior to establish regional management frameworks that account for the effects of cormorants on fisheries and other natural resources while maintaining sustainable breeding populations.
Double-crested cormorants have recovered substantially since the 1980s. In some areas, concentrated populations can put pressure on fish populations and aquaculture operations. Large nesting colonies can also damage trees and surrounding vegetation, affecting habitat used by other wildlife. These impacts vary by location, making it important for states to have tools suited to managing adverse conditions where they occur.
The proposed frameworks would allow states and other eligible entities to address localized problems under federal oversight. This approach draws on the long-standing partnership between federal wildlife managers, flyway councils, and states in managing migratory birds. It offers a path to respond where cormorant populations are causing harm while conserving the species across its range.
The House Natural Resources Committee’s unanimous advancement of H.R. 8195 and the introduction of a Senate companion mark important progress. CSF thanks Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Member Representative Walberg and Senators Cruz and Britt for their leadership and looks forward to working with Congress to move this science-based management solution forward.