POSITION STATEMENT – PENGUINS
Vision
A Kangaroo Island where natural ecological processes and species interactions govern Little Penguin
and New Zealand fur seal populations, without human interference.
Issue
In recent years, significant and sustained declines in Little Penguin populations have been recorded at
several colonies in South Australia, the most notable being at Granite Island (Wiebkin 2011). On
Kangaroo Island, an annual community penguin census held at the Kingscote colony since 2006 has
revealed a decrease in the population size since 2007, and declines have also been recorded at other
colonies on Kangaroo Island since the introduction of an island-wide census in 2011. Decreasing
numbers of penguins, particularly at sites where commercial penguin tours have been operating for
many years, has attracted a great deal of publicity and caused concern and anxiety among regional
communities.
There are many documented causes for the decline of little penguin populations across Australia and
New Zealand. The anthropogenic influences on penguin populations are diverse and include:

Habitat destruction and modification,

Human disturbance including increased activity and light

Predation by domestic pets such as dogs and cats

Predation by feral animals, including foxes, rats and cats,

Boat strikes

Commercial fishing activities that reduce food availability

Coastal erosion

Pollution and marine debris

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Gibbs 1995)
These human induced impacts are in addition to natural processes affecting penguins, including
predation by seals, sharks and sea eagles, fluctuations in food availability and disease. The recent
expansion of the New Zealand fur seal (NZFS) population on KI and elsewhere in SA has led to
community concerns that NZFS may be impacting on penguins, despite evidence of stable populations
of little penguins co-existing with large populations of NZFS (Wiebkin 2011). In response, there have
been calls to manage seal populations.
New Zealand fur seals and little penguins are both native to Australian waters and are protected under
the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. Not long after European discovery of Australia, populations of
NZFS were hunted to the brink of extinction. Numbers remained at very low levels for almost 140 years,
but over the past 40 years the population has started to recover (Goldsworthy and Shaughnessy 2013).
The most rigorous and continuous dataset on the abundance of NZFS comes from the long-term
monitoring program at Cape Gantheaume Wilderness Protection Area. This colony has exhibited an
11% average annual increase in pup production over the last 24 years. With a growing population,
NZFS have begun to expand their distribution and are becoming more visible around Kangaroo Island.
However, a preliminary study into NZFS diets on Kangaroo Island found traces of penguins in only 25% of NZFS scats (Baylis and Nichols 2009).
There is significant variation in the status of little penguin populations in south-eastern Australia. The
most famous little penguin colony at Phillip Island has doubled in size to an estimated 32,000 birds,
which coincided with a government housing estate buy-back scheme, expanding penguin habitat. The
penguin colony at Middle Island near Warrnambool in Victoria has recovered from four adult birds in
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2005 to an estimated population of 187 adults in 2013 since the commencement of the innovative
Maremma Guardian Dog project, which protects penguins from fox predation (Kivisalu 2013).
Board Response
The Board does not support the culling, sterilization or relocation of New Zealand fur seals (NZFS) in
South Australia. This is because NZFS predation is a natural phenomenon over which humans have little
control and attempts interstate and overseas to manage seal populations in this way have proven
expensive and largely ineffectual. Any benefit received from relocating a small number of seals would
likely be lost due to the influx of new seals. Similarly, the Board and DEWNR do not support the use of
seal deterrents such as acoustic bangers to harass seals away from penguin colonies because
experience elsewhere shows that this approach rapidly becomes ineffective as seals become desensitised to harassment measures.
The Board supports a regular census of penguin colonies on Kangaroo Island and the collection and
transportation of penguin carcasses to the South Australian Museum for autopsy (where possible).
Research is currently underway investigating NZFS diets and the decline of penguins in the Gulf St
Vincent region. The Board will await the findings of this research before reviewing its management
response.
Why the Board has adopted this position

Economic reasons:

costly and ineffective methods for managing New Zealand fur seals

enhance the value of the Kangaroo Island brand (clean and green, natural)

improve ecotourism credibility

Environmental reasons – protection of native biodiversity and ecosystems

Social reasons – community understanding of natural ecological processes; ethical treatment of
wildlife
Guiding Principles

Informed decision-making based on scientific research and factual knowledge

Respect that both little penguins and New Zealand fur seals are tourism drawcards for KI
Partnerships

South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI)

Flinders University

Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges

Tourism Kangaroo Island
Condition Target

New Zealand fur seals (NZFS) and penguins interact naturally without interference from
humans.

The public recognises that interactions between penguins and NZFS are a natural occurrence

Tourism operators on Kangaroo Island embrace an increasing NZFS population and adapt
products to take advantage of this phenomenon.
Short-term actions

Research findings are presented in a public forum

Penguin populations continue to be monitored

Residents are encouraged to collect and deliver penguin carcasses for autopsy

Current research being undertaken on Kangaroo Island and elsewhere is supported
Limitations to achievement

Resources available to conduct monitoring

Community acceptance and expectations

Economic drivers
Legislation
National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972
References
Gibbs, P. J. (1995) Heavy metal and organochlorine concentrations in tissues of the Little Penguin
Eudyptula minor. The Penguins. Surrey Beatty and Sons, NSW, Australia. p393-419.
Goldsworthy, S. D. and Shaughnessy, P. D. (2013) Abundance of New Zealand fur seal pups in the
Cape Gantheaume Wilderness Protection Area, Kangaroo Island: 2011-12 breeding season. Final
report to Nature Foundation South Australia. . South Australian Research and Development
Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide. SARDI Publication No. F2013/000070-1. SARDI Research
Report Series No. 735. 22pp.
Kivisalu, L. (2013) Middle Island Little Penguin Monitoring Program Season 2012-13. Report to the
Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group. Nature Glenelg Trust – Mumbannar, Victoria.
Wiebkin, A. S. (2011) Conservation management priorities for little penguin populations in Gulf St
Vincent. Report to Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board. South
Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide. SARDI Publication No.
F2011/000188-1. SARDI Research Report Series No. 588. 97pp.