Responsible Cormorant Management and Control Act of 2026

This bill would require the Secretary of the Interior, through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to create a management plan within 180 days for the take of double-crested cormorants (a fish-eating bird) in each of the four regional flyway areas. Each plan would set allowed methods and time periods for taking the birds and would list who may take them, including state and tribal agencies, state-authorized hunters, and private lake and pond managers. The plans must keep the breeding population at a sustainable level under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and must account for the birds' effects on fisheries, vegetation, other birds, human health, water quality, and endangered species. The Secretary would also identify management actions allowed on National Wildlife Refuges, survey the cormorant population every 5 years, and update the plans every 5 years.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Tim Walberg Republican sponsor
• 6 cosponsors