CorMan The new European Commission funded initiative Ornis Committee Meeting, Brussels 14 October 2011

Thomas Bregnballe, Aarhus University, Denmark & David N. Carss, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, NERC, UK

available for the minutes Contents Picture excluded from version available for the minutes The initiatives Organisation and deliverables The EU Cormorant Platform Monitoring of population size and distribution of Cormorants

The initiatives In response to the Resolution of the European Parliament concerning the impact of Cormorants, the Commission launched two initiatives: A guidance document on implementation of Article 9 - Comments from the Ornis Committee - The current second draft will become open to public consultation before finalized One of the initiatives was to draft A guidance … IN CONTRACT BY AARHUS UNIVERSITY AND CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY FOR THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNDER SERVICE CONTRACT N° 07-0307/ 2010/575579/SER/B3

The second initiative To hire a contractor To develop an internet platform for dissemination of information To organise pan-European monitoring of the Cormorant population during breeding and in winter The other initiative was to hire A contractor … IN CONTRACT BY AARHUS UNIVERSITY AND CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY FOR THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNDER SERVICE CONTRACT N° 07-0307/ 2010/575579/SER/B3

The major contributors CONSORTIUM Aarhus University CEH, NERC SUBCON-TRACTORS Consultants Research Institutes Cormorant Research Group IUCN / Wetlands International Cormorant Platform Counts of Cormorants As contractors we have a consortium. Our main deliverables are an internet Platform and the organisation of counts of cormorants. To be successful in deleveloping a platform and in organising a count we have attached subcontractors who have particular knowledge about cormorant-fish interactions and management or have experience with organsing cormorant counts We have made an alliance with the CRG … . We have established SLG to We have started to collaborate with individual countries .. We have started to recruit volunteers Stakeholders’ Liasion Group Individual countries Volunteers

The EU Cormorant Platform The aim of the Platform is to ease the access to information about Cormorant migration and ecology Development in Cormorant numbers and distribution at European and national levels Interactions with fisheries Experience with management and best practice on reducing impacts (a toolbox) IN CONTRACT BY AARHUS UNIVERSITY AND CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY FOR THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNDER SERVICE CONTRACT N° 07-0307/ 2010/575579/SER/B3

The EU Cormorant Platform Services to be made available on the Platform Frequently Asked Questions Literature database Links to INTERCAFE reports Links to home pages of relevant stakeholders’ organisations IN CONTRACT BY AARHUS UNIVERSITY AND CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY FOR THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNDER SERVICE CONTRACT N° 07-0307/ 2010/575579/SER/B3

Examples – Population development Denmark Finland Source: Bregnballe, T., Aarhus University Source: Finnish Environment Institute, SYKE Certain graphs excluded from version available for the minutes IN CONTRACT BY AARHUS UNIVERSITY AND CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY FOR THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNDER SERVICE CONTRACT N° 07-0307/ 2010/575579/SER/B3

xx Distribution and size of breeding colonies in Denmark 2011 Course in Wildlife Ecology and Management, spring 2011, Block 5: Cormorants: Population ecology, modelling and management AARHUS UNIVERSITY, National Environmental Research Institute Source: Bregnballe, T., Aarhus University

Distribution of breeding cormorants in Europe Map excluded from version available for the minutes

Geographical origin of ringed cormorants found dead in Italy Da: Atlante Migrazione Uccelli in Italia

Monitoring of Cormorants The aim is: To organise counts of breeding and wintering Great Cormorants in the Western Palearctic in collaboration with the IUCN-Wetlands International Cormorant Research Group To analyse the majort results and make them available through the EU Cormorant Platform IN CONTRACT BY AARHUS UNIVERSITY AND CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY FOR THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNDER SERVICE CONTRACT N° 07-0307/ 2010/575579/SER/B3

A count of all breeding colonies in 2012 Cormorant counts in the Western Palearctic – Organised by the EC initiative CorMan in collaboration with the IUCN-Wetlands International Cormorant Research Group

A count of night roosts in January 2013 Cormorant counts in the Western Palearctic – Organised by the EC initiative CorMan in collaboration with the IUCN-Wetlands International Cormorant Research Group

How will the counts be organised? The project has designated 2-3 coordinators within 4 regions Map excluded from version available for the minutes Regions Regional coordinators will establish and maintain contact with national coordinators National coordinators can be institutions or persons with esperience from earlier counts of Cormorants Cormorant counts in the Western Palearctic – Organised by the EC initiative CorMan in collaboration with the IUCN-Wetlands International Cormorant Research Group

Communication with reporters and handling of data A project home page has been developed. It offers facilities for the coordinators and the counters It includes a facility for entering counts directly and denoting the location of the counted site by use of Google Maps Rules for use of count results will be agreed with each country

Present results on a pan-European level Map excluded from version available for the minutes

The EC will highly appreciate that Member States will try to contribute to the national counts of breeding colonies and of wintering Cormorants Authorities may: - Assist with contact to local authorities who can support with counts in national parks, reserves and on national property - Assist with funding for organisation and publication of results of counts at the national level Governmental authorities in the European Union Member States will soon receive a letter from DG Environment informing the MS about the planned counts and that assistance will be appreciated IN CONTRACT BY AARHUS UNIVERSITY AND CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY FOR THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNDER SERVICE CONTRACT N° 07-0307/ 2010/575579/SER/B3

Thank you ! Course in Wildlife Ecology and Management, spring 2011, Block 5: Cormorants: Population ecology, modelling and management AARHUS UNIVERSITY, National Environmental Research Institute