Cormorant Relief Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. HURD of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2293) to require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue certain regulations relating to the taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 2293

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Cormorant Relief Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. REGULATIONS RELATING TO TAKING OF DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS AT AQUACULTURE FACILITIES.

(a) In General.--The Secretary shall reissue the original depredation order in accordance with subsection (b).

(b) Requirements.--The depredation order reissued under subsection (a) shall be the same as the original depredation order, except that the depredation order reissued under subsection (a) shall--

(1) apply to--

(A) each of the States of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and any other State or territory of the United States the Secretary determines appropriate in addition to and in the same manner as each of the States to which the original depredation order applied; and

(B) lake managers and pond managers in addition to and in the same manner as each of the entities to which the original depredation order applied;

(2) incorporate modern terminology;

(3) simplify the provisions contained in the original depredation order related to compliance with other Federal law;

(4) modernize the recordkeeping requirements contained in the original depredation order; and

(5) remove the June 30, 2014, expiration date contained in the original depredation order.

(c) Renewal.--Not less than once every 5 years after the date on which the Secretary reissues the original depredation order under subsection (a), the Secretary shall renew the depredation order reissued under subsection (a).

(d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act may be construed to waive the obligation of the Secretary to comply with the--

(1) National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); or

(2) Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.).

(e) Definitions.--In this section:

(1) Lake manager.--The term ``lake manager'' means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a private lake.

(2) Original depredation order.--The term ``original depredation order'' means the depredation order for double- crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities contained in section 21.47 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on January 1, 2016).

(3) Pond manager.--The term ``pond manager'' means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a private pond.

(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Mr. HURD of Colorado. 2293, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2293, the Cormorant Relief Act of 2025, sponsored by Representative Ezell from Mississippi. This legislation would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reinstate the Aquaculture Depredation Order for double-crested cormorants, which was in place from 1998 until 2016, until it was vacated by a judge in response to yet another activist lawsuit.

Double-crested cormorants are waterbirds common to the Great Lakes States and the Southeast. They are opportunistic and intelligent predators that often feed at aquaculture facilities, where fish are easy to catch. A variety of studies have determined that predation from double-crested cormorants costs the aquaculture industry nearly $65 million annually in economic losses.

This legislation would streamline the permitting process to take double-crested cormorants, restoring protections for aquaculture producers without negatively impacting cormorant populations.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Representative Ezell for his continued leadership and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2293. I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. HURD of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, this commonsense bill allows aquaculture producers to effectively manage the overpopulation of double-crested cormorants, which threatens their way of life and harms coastal economies. I once again thank Mr. Ezell for his diligent work and attention to this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 2293 and yield back the balance of my time.

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