public attitudes t oward lake champlain cormorants: nuisance or scapegoat ?

Public Attitudes Toward Lake Champlain Cormorants:Nuisance or Scapegoat?

Walter F. KuentzelDavid E. CapenZoe Richards (University of Vermont)Bryan Higgins (SUNY – Plattsburgh)

Erhai Lake

Photo: Rachel King - http://www.emc.org.uk/_China-RK09/_rachel_king.htm

A Problem Species

The Human Dimension

• Knowledge• Attitudes• Impact on the Fishery• Social Acceptability

Management Control and Public Controversy

Nuisance Speciesvs.

Animal Rights

Attitude Strength

Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree

Agree Strongly Agree0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

9.8

21.7

35.3

16.1 17.1

Cormorants are Like Flying Rats

Perc

ent

ExtremityImportanceKnowledge

Acceptance/RejectionDirect Experience

Conceptual Model

User Groups

Management Control

KnowledgeImportanceExperience

Latitudes

Cormorant Attitudes

Fishery Impact

Attitude Strength Dimensions

Methods

Mailed Survey

• Anglers• Recreational Boaters (non-anglers)• Conservation Organizations• Audubon (Green Mountain, Otter Creek)• Lake Champlain Committee

• Lakeshore Homeowners (VT & NY)

1195 Questionnaires Mailed769 Returned (64% response rate)

Knowledge

KnowledgeFalse Statements (e.g.):• Cormorants eat three or more times their weight in fish each day• Cormorants are large birds weighing approximately 20 pounds

True Statements (e.g.):• Cormorants will gather in flocks of 1000 or more when they are feeding• Yellow perch are the most common food item for cormorants

4-Point Scale:1= Definitely not, 2=Maybe not, 3=Maybe yes, 4=Definitely yes

13-item additive scale

-26

-24

-22

-20

-18

-16

-14

-12

-10 -7 -5 -3 -1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 22 24 26

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Knowledge About Cormorants

Cormorant Attitudes

Cormorant AttitudesPositive Statements (e.g.):• A large nesting colony of cormorants is an impressive sight• Cormorants are an important part of the Lake Champlain ecosystem

Negative Statements (e.g.):• Cormorants have become a nuisance species on Lake Champlain• If it were legal, I would shoot any cormorant that came near me

5-Point Scale:1= Strongly disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Neither agree nor disagree, 4=Agree, 5=Strong agree

10-Item Additive Scale (α = .89)

-20

-19

-18

-17

-16

-15

-14

-13

-12

-11

-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 20

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Attitudes About Cormorants

Effect on Fishery

Cormorant Impacts on the FisheryPositive Statements (e.g.):• Cormorants are used as a scapegoat for Lake Champlain fisheries problems• Cormorants cannot possibly eat enough to reduce Lake Champlain sport fish

Negative Statements (e.g.):• I would catch more fish on Lake Champlain if there were fewer cormorants• The future of Lake Champlain bass tournaments is threatened by cormorants



-20

-19

-18

-17

-16

-15

-14

-13

-12

-11

-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Cormorant's Effect on Lake Champlain Fishery

Management Control

Management ControlsSupport Statements (e.g.):• Cormorants should be eliminated from Lake Champlain• There should be an open season for the public to hunt cormorants

Opposition Statements (e.g.):• It is not necessary to control the cormorant population on Lake Champlain• Shooting cormorants to control their population is unethical



-16

-15

-14

-13

-12

-11

-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Managing Cormorant Populations

Other Variables

Importance (Single Item, 4-Point Scale)• I am concerned that there are too many cormorants on Lake Champlain

Latitude of Acceptance/Rejection (Additive Scale)• Expected minus Preferred number of cormorants seen flying in a flock• Expected minus Preferred number of cormorants seen nesting on an island

Direct Experience (Additive Scale)• Number of recreational activities participated in on Lake Champlain• Number of days spent recreating on Lake Champlain in previous 12 months• Frequency of recreation participation on Lake Champlain over the years• Number of recreational boats owned

User Group Differences

Anglers Boaters Conservation Homeowners F

Knowledge 3.3a 3.6a 4.6b 4.5b 2.8

Importance 3.7d 3.2b 2.9a 3.5c 31.0

Direct Experience -0.3b 0.1b -1.1a 1.3c 32.0

Acceptance/ Rejection 3.7b 2.7a 2.1a 3.9b 14.8

Cormorant Attitudes -9.7a -2.7c 0.1d -5.9b 57.2

Fishery Impacts -7.7a -2.8c 0.1d -5.5b 49.4

Management Control 8.3a 3.4c 1.4d 5.4b 45.5


Knowledge 3.3a 3.6a 4.6b 4.5b 2.8








Knowledge 3.3a 3.6a 4.6b 4.5b 2.8








Knowledge 3.3a 3.6a 4.6b 4.5b 2.8








Knowledge 3.3a 3.6a 4.6b 4.5b 2.8








Knowledge 3.3a 3.6a 4.6b 4.5b 2.8








Knowledge 3.3a 3.6a 4.6b 4.5b 2.8







Predicting Support for Management Control

KnowledgeManagement

Control

Cormorant Attitudes

Fishery Impact

Importance

Acceptance/ Rejection

Direct Experience

-12.7

-7.5

7.9

-13.2*6.6

-6.5

-18.44.2

-6.2

* - Standardized Coefficients

Model Fit - Χ2 =23.6 (4), CFI=.99

Take Away Points• Who hates cormorants?

1/3 negative, 1/4 positive, the rest are ambivalent

• User groupsAnglers and lakeshore homeowners most likely to dislike cormorantsConservation members least troubled by cormorants

• Educating the PublicMore knowledge = more positive attitudes/less support for control

• Not to pick on anglers, but…Scored highest on self-rated wildlife knowledge scaleScored lowest on cormorant knowledge scaleFitting beliefs to attitudes?

• Native/Newcomer?Anglers – younger, male, less education & income, rural residenceConservation – older, more education & income, urban residence

• Who hates cormorants?1/3 negative, 1/4 positive, the rest are ambivalent




















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public attitudes t oward lake champlain cormorants: nuisance or scapegoat ?

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