SRC-AXB H.C.R. 23 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.C.R. 23
By: Clark (Haywood)
Natural Resources
4/27/1999
Engrossed


DIGEST 

Over the last three decades, the double-crested cormorant (cormorant)
population has increased exponentially.  Cormorants nest as far north as
Alaska and as far east as the Atlantic Coast, then come to the Gulf of
Mexico for the winter and return home in April.  Cormorants have a
documented reputation as being voracious eaters of commercially valuable
fish such as bass, catfish, shad, and bluegill, and these birds are
suspected of threatening the economic well-being of sport fishing in Texas,
which sustains over 50,000 jobs and is a 2 billion dollar industry.
Trapping and shooting cormorants is currently illegal because they are
protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.   H.C.R. 23 requests the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service to include the economic impact of
cormorants on sport fishing, and seeks the removal of this bird from the
protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.C.R. 23 submits the following resolutions:

That the 76th legislature request the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) to include the economic impact of the cormorant on sport
fishing in its ongoing evaluation of the double-crested cormorant, and that
USFWS create a contingency plan for addressing sitespecific cormorant
problems. 

That USFWS consider removing the double-crested cormorant from Migratory
Bird Treaty Act protection if severe control methods are warranted by
economic losses. 

That the secretary of state forward an official copy of this resolution to
the director of US fauna.