Rhine delta

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Bis zu 4000 Kormorane ernähren sich von den Fischen des Bodensees.

(Bild: thinkstockphotos.de (Symbolbild))

Because these feathered creatures are extremely hungry and therefore eat plenty of Lake Constance's fish stocks, the animals may continue to be hunted and chased away.

They are the strongest competition for Lake Constance fishing: cormorants. The black birds are good divers and find their favorite food under water. However, as the fishing industry is struggling with extreme declines in fish stocks, the birds are not at all welcome in this country.

Years ago, the state therefore approved the hunting and deterrence of the animals in the Rhine delta nature reserve - because the cormorant is actually protected under EU law. With a few targeted interventions, it has been possible to keep the number of breeding pairs at the same level over a period of eleven years, said the responsible provincial councillor Christian Gantner (ÖVP) on Wednesday. The ordinance on which these measures are based expired at the end of January and has now been re-issued - with a few adjustments.

The measures provided for in the ordinance must continue to be implemented consistently in order to alleviate the pressure on fish stocks and fisheries.

Landesrat Christian Gantner (ÖVP)

Alleviating pressure on fish stocks
Cormorants have been breeding on the Vorarlberg shore of Lake Constance in the area of Fußach Bay since 2001. Conflicts quickly arose. No wonder: the fish taken by cormorants already amounts to at least twice the total fishing use, explained Gantner. "The measures provided for in the regulation must continue to be implemented consistently in order to alleviate the pressure on fish stocks and fishing," he emphasized on Wednesday.

Around 500 cormorants
The specific figures: Last year, 53 successful broods with 154 fledged young were counted. Around 500 cormorants currently spend the night in Fußach Bay. Around Lake Constance, on the other hand, the number of cormorant breeding pairs has risen sharply recently, from around 1,200 in 2022 to over 1,560 last year. To improve the situation for fishermen, it is important that the other countries bordering Lake Constance also take measures to curb the increase in cormorant numbers, Gantner demands.