Cormorant Relief Act of 2025
The Cormorant Relief Act of 2025 would require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue the existing depredation order governing the taking (removal) of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities. The reissued order would be the same as the original, but with several updates: it would apply to additional states and to lake managers and pond managers; it would use modern terminology; it would simplify compliance with other federal laws; it would modernize recordkeeping; and it would remove the old expiration date of June 30, 2014. The order would need renewal at least every five years. The bill preserves federal environmental safeguards (NEPA and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act) and defines key terms such as “lake manager” and “pond manager.” In short, this bill aims to revive and modernize a prior regulatory tool to help aquaculture facilities address cormorant predation.
Key Points
- 1Reissue of the original depredation order for double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities, but with updates.
- 2Expanded scope: includes additional states (CA, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, MI, MO, NJ, OH, PA, WI, and any other appropriate states) and adds lake managers and pond managers to those covered by the order.
- 3Modernization: uses updated terminology, streamlined compliance with other federal laws, and updated recordkeeping requirements.
- 4No expiration: removes the June 30, 2014 expiration date from the original order; the order would be renewed at least every five years.
- 5Safeguards: explicitly confirms that nothing in the Act waives obligations under NEPA or the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.