Discussion

Cormorants have been subject of many studies due to their impacts on recreational fisheries, aquaculture, vegetation and habitat, other bird species and spread of diseases. However few studies dealt with their parasites and their impacts on above mentioned areas. In Australia, our knowledge regarding the parasitism of Australian cormorant species is poor. In this presentation, results of examining several species of Australian cormorants for parasite infections are presented followed by a review of parasites reported from Australian cormorants by other workers. We discuss the importance and potential impacts of parasites found in cormorants for both the aquaculture industry and fish health and in a broader sense.