I have to agree that the method was somewhat barbaric, but there really wasn't much of a option. Santee being such a shallow lake for the most part doesn't give the fish much of a chance to run and hide when a flock of a thousand or so Cormorants comes in to feed. Santee is also a nesting ground for the birds which does nothing but further increase their numbers if they go unchecked. Trust me on this, that killing did not hurt the population one bit. During the fall migration, it is not uncommon to see tens of thousands of Cormorants daily as they stop by to feed as they travel. Unfortunately, many of the birds have taken up full time residence and stay and decimate the fish populations year round. The catfish get blamed for many of the fish declines in the big lakes, and a big flat probably does eat his fair share. But it wasn't until perch and the Cormorants got out of control that these things became evident.