Fishery producers press Congress to reinstate national depredation order for double-crested cormorants

Rep. Ezell of Mississippi introduced H.R. 2293, the Cormorant Relief Act of 2025, at a House Natural Resources Subcommittee hearing and was joined by catfish and aquaculture producers who urged reinstating a national aquaculture depredation order for double-crested cormorants.

Proponents said the previous national depredation order, in place from 1998 until vacated by court action in 2016, allowed aquaculturists faster, less costly responses to bird depredation than the current system of individual permits. In testimony, a catfish farmer described annual losses and operating burdens: "We're losing 5 to 10% of our crop every year just to bird depredation," a witness said, and cited industry estimates of roughly $64,000,000 in annual losses attributed to cormorant predation.

Witnesses described their first-line defenses as nonlethal harassment techniques such as noise cannons, pyrotechnics and regular patrols and said lethal removal is used only as a last resort. They also explained the reporting and permitting steps now required: farm operators apply for individual depredation permits, estimate how many birds they might take in a year and must report takes to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Several members, including Rep. Hoyle, pressed for the Fish and Wildlife Service to testify because the agency would implement any new national order. Hoyle said she was not sure what problem the bill would solve and warned that without the Service's perspective it was hard to assess whether a nationwide approach was necessary. Rep. Huffman echoed concerns about needing the agency's input and full staffing for the Migratory Bird Office.

Supporters argued a national order would reduce administrative burdens and allow more timely response across many farms rather than thousands of individual permit applications. Opponents and members seeking caution noted litigation history: the prior national order was vacated following court challenge over potential population-level impacts on the species.

The subcommittee did not vote on H.R. 2293 during the hearing. Members said the panel may seek additional information from the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Migratory Bird Office about population monitoring and permit-processing capacity before advancing the bill.