Season Uncertain for Yellow-eyed Penguin

Future of yellow-eyed penguins remains uncertain
By AMY MILNE - The Southland Times | Tuesday, 30 September 2008

Stewart Island has reported to have recorded the best yellow-eyed penguin breeding season since monitoring began there five years ago but the birds' future remains uncertain in some areas, the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust said.

The trust's five-year study into breeding on Rakiura/Stewart, Whenua Hou/Codfish and Bravo islands has now been completed.

Trust co-founder Lala Frazer said while the warmer La Nina weather patterns had been linked to a successful season this year, bird numbers on the Anglem coast of Stewart Island remained volatile.

"This season was much better.

Six chicks (19 percent success rate) fledged from the Anglem coast and 56 (76 percent) and 27 (69 percent) chicks respectively (fledged) from Whenua Hou/Codfish Island and the Bravo islands," Mrs Frazer said.

The Anglem coast had improved on the previous year's zero percent but 19 percent was still much lower than the expected 60 percent average, she said.

Nest numbers on the Anglem coast had also halved in the past decade. Only 16 were located this season, compared to 32 in 1999.

"That is a very disturbing statistic showing a considerable reduction in the number of breeding pairs over nine breeding seasons," Mrs Frazer said.

Of the 25 chicks which hatched from those 16 nests, 19 died. Most died within three weeks of hatching.

No predation was recorded but starvation and disease were evident.

Heavy commercial fishing could be behind the problems on the Anglem coast.

However, Ms Fraser said this was hard to determine because most of the waters around Stewart Island and surrounding islands were commercially fished and birds in other areas were doing well.

The trust had secured funding from the Department of Conservation and Community Trust of Southland to undertake a census of these areas which would hopefully provide some answers, she said.

News story courtesy of the Southland Times @
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southlandtimes/4710008a6568.html