The hypothesis that the introduction of artificial refuges might provide protection for fish and reduce the level of cormorant predation was tested in two, paired‐pond, cross‐over trials during the winters of 2003 and 2004, using a ‘refuge’ pond and an adjacent equivalently stocked ‘control’ pond. There were 77% fewer cormorant visits to the refuge pond than the control pond, on average. There was also a 67% fall in the mean m...