IUCN COMMISSION GROUP

IUCN SSC Cormorant Specialist Group

Overview and description

Description:: IUCN SSC Cormorant Specialist Group promotes the exchange of information on both ecology and biology of the ca. 30 different species of cormorants, shags, and darters worldwide, and on resolving ...
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IUCN SSC Cormorant Specialist Group promotes the exchange of information on both ecology and biology of the ca. 30 different species of cormorants, shags, and darters worldwide, and on resolving possible conflicts between cormorants and human fisheries’ interests.

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Group leadership

Rosemarie PARZ-GOLLNER

Co-Chair

Mr Mennobart VAN EERDEN

Co-Chair

More about the Specialist Group

The Group was officially founded in 1993 and has always been aware that cormorants constitute an ecologically important group of species, as predators indicative of the water system they are part of, either freshwater or marine. Due to the continuous discussion about the perceived damage by the Great Cormorant, most attention of our group has been dedicated to this issue. However, rather than focusing on the management issues of this species alone, we feel ...

Group members have chosen to study cormorants, among other reasons, because they:

are dependent on marine and freshwater wetlands, and are thus particularly exposed to habitat loss, changes in hunting pressure, pollution and other human activities affecting such habitats;
represent top predators in the ecological food web and are therefore good indicators of the general health of the water environment.