Too many cormorants and enormous damage to the coffers of the consortia that manage the island's ponds. This is why the fishermen will take to the streets. The associations representing Sardinian fishing companies—Legacoop, Agci, Confcooperative, Fedagripesca, and Armatori—have announced a new state of unrest among the managers of Sardinian fisheries.
From October until the end of March, Sardinia's lagoons are literally overrun by cormorants , with a total population estimated at nearly 15,000 individuals. These voracious birds, according to scientific studies conducted in Sardinia, consume an average of about 350 grams of fish per day per individual. This means that each cormorant in the Sardinian lagoons, by the time it returns at the end of March 2026, will have eaten 63 kilos of fish: a total loss to Sardinian businesses that could exceed €6 million.
The associations reiterate that the only viable remedy is damage compensation, given that containment measures, even implemented by the companies themselves, produce limited results. In any case, both for damage compensation and containment measures, it is essential to estimate the number of cormorants in Sardinian lagoons as accurately as possible.
"However, the cumbersome calculation systems implemented by the Regional Department for Environmental Protection," the associations write, "using a system of averages whose rationale is unclear, have resulted in a fivefold reduction in the number of cormorants in Sardinian ponds. This has led to the paradox that cormorants resting in their roosts can be counted at 10,000 or 15,000 individuals, yet despite feeding every day, as scientific studies have shown, when they are counted in fisheries records, their numbers magically become 2,000 or 3,000."
The remaining portion is unknown where they feed. A statement signed by the associations states, "There have been repeated requests to change this counting method, and it appears a change may be made soon. However, this change will require time. Pending this change, we have repeatedly requested the establishment of a transitional regime that would provide data more closely reflecting the actual presence of cormorants in Sardinian ponds, which could be used immediately. To date, despite several discussions, nothing has been changed, and in the meantime, cormorants are beginning to be increasingly present." For this reason, a demonstration by Sardinian fisheries managers has been called, which will take place in Cagliari on Friday, October 31, at the Department of Environmental Protection.
