. . . One more note on the cormorant news story. The reason, I think, that this is getting so much attention at this time (it is a chronic problem) is that the numbers of recent hookings (of seabirds, ed) are so high. A lot of us scientists think this is a sign of the El Nino conditions in combination with a good year of productivity from the birds (I know this to be so for brown pelicans at least) and we are waiting for more data. Then another question to ponder: what do you do with all those starving birds that are expected? "Daniel W. Anderson" <dwanderson@ucdavis.edu> VIA SEABIRD