European countries discuss managing cormorant populations via national or unified EU plans due to conflicts with fisheries.
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Discussions are ongoing across Europe regarding whether national measures are sufficient to manage cormorant populations or if a unified European plan under EU law is necessary. While large cormorants, which primarily eat fish, were severely reduced in mid-20th century Europe due to persecution and chemicals like DDT and PCBs, their population has since recovered significantly following increased protection starting in the late 1980s. In Lithuania, monitoring data shows an increase in breeding pairs for 2025, reaching a high point in recorded history. Large cormorant colonies can alter local environments; for instance, in JuodkrantÄ—, they have caused significant tree die-off. Due to this impact and the need to prevent further spread into sensitive areas, management measures are applied, such as auditory and light deterrents during incubation, aiming to keep at least 1,500 breeding pairs while preventing expansion. Cormorant population control is also managed in aquaculture farms through quotas, with lethal removal permitted under specific conditions. However, environmental agencies note that cormorants aid in controlling invasive fish species, such as the black sole, by consuming large quantities of them annually. Similar conflicts exist in Poland, where stable populations are increasingly found in human-altered water bodies, leading to regulated hunting and debates over the ecological role of the birds versus fishing interests. The EU’s Bird Directive allows member states exceptions for managing wildlife when significant damage to fisheries or waters is a concern. Some nine European countries have proposed developing a common management plan for large cormorants due to their migratory nature, while Sweden has requested that the species be added to Annex II of the Bird Directive to allow national hunting regulations.
