Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Cormorant Relief Act of 2025”.
Cormorant Relief Act of 2025
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue certain regulations relating to the taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Regulations relating to taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities
Definitions— In this section:
Lake manager— The term lake manager means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a private lake.
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).
Pond manager— The term pond manager means a person that is licensed by a State regulatory agency to manage a private pond.
Secretary— The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Reissuance required— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall reissue the original depredation order in accordance with subsection (c).
Requirements— The depredation order reissued under subsection (b) shall be the same as the original depredation order, except that the depredation order reissued under that subsection shall apply—
to each of the States of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in addition to, and in the same manner as, each of the States to which the original depredation order applied; and
to 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.