Looking after our little blues
A recovering little blue penguin with his surrogate mother. Photo: Supplied.
FIONA NELSON
Locals have been reminded of the importance of the region’s coastline to the world’s smallest penguin, whose population is declining.
The Motueka Library Te Noninga Kumu recently hosted a well-attended talk about the little blue penguins/kororā of Tasman Bay.
An endangered species, the blue penguins are the smallest penguins in the world, only 35 -43cm tall, and are native to New Zealand and Australia. As in other areas around the country, their declining numbers in Tasman Bay are due to attacks, mostly by dogs but also other predators - rats, cats, ferrets, and stoats, and cars - and habitat loss from coastal development.
Advocating for little blue penguins is one of the key reasons that Linda Jenkins and Larry Lumsden set up the Tasman Bay Blue Penguin Trust in April 2022.
“We set up the trust to be a voice for the little blues,” says Linda. “They needed an advocate, an entity to speak for them.”
The trust continues the conservation work being done by ‘Love Our Little Blues’ community group over the last five years. It undertakes projects to identify and help alleviate threats to the penguins, like predator trapping.
“There are 15 volunteers who regularly check the traps north and south of Kaiteriteri,” says Larry. “One thousand rats have been caught over the last five years.”
Awareness signage reminding people to keep dogs on lead, and providing nesting boxes, are other projects the group has undertaken.
Thanks to the Motueka’s Menz Shed, 60 new nest boxes were made and have been put out for the penguins on Kina Peninsula and Jacket Island this year.
Contributing to scientific research and knowledge about the penguins in Tasman Bay is another of their purposes. The trust also commissions population and distribution surveys.
At present Larry and Linda are the only trustees, but they are aiming to have more.
“We are just finding our feet and sorting out how the structure is going to work the most effectively,” Linda says. “We are very honoured to have Professor John Cockrem, one of New Zealand’s top penguin biologists, as our patron.”
Professor John Cockrem from Massey University has been studying penguins for 35 years, working with Adelie and Emperor penguins in Antarctica, hoiho (yellow eyed) penguins as well as kororā (little blue) penguins in their various coastal colonies around New Zealand.
Kororā are now his main study species. Recently, John has been helping Tasman District Council with the construction project at Port Tarakohe and a penguin management plan for a pathway along the estuary at Kaiteriteri.
John considers ocean warming and storms affecting their food storages as other significant threats that the penguins face.
John also stressed the importance of checking to see if there is any existing penguin colony on a coastal or estuary site before any development begins.
“Every metre of Tasman Bay Coastline might have penguins there.”
Another important purpose of the Tasman Bay Trust is working with approved wildlife services to provide rescue and rehabilitation for injured or sick penguins.
Dr Mana Stratton is the Trust’s Honorary Wildlife Vet. She has a DOC permit and is the one who is called when any distressed, sick or injured penguins have been found in Tasman Bay area.
Mana provides voluntary care and rehabilitation for sick and injured penguins at her clinic in Mahana. At the most she has had nine penguins to care for at one time.
Her mother Frances assists her with feeding and bringing the penguins back to health. Depending on their age, the penguins are given fish in different forms – liquid, smoothy or chunks – which is provided by Sealord in Nelson.
“Ensuring dogs are kept on leads when walking at the beach or along estuaries is vital for the little blue’s survival,” she says.
Mana also points out that disturbing penguin nests by poking sticks in them is another threat she has seen.
If you find an injured or stressed penguin you should ring the DOC hotline 0800 362 468 immediately, take a photo, describe the incident and location, and stay with the penguin until help arrives.
For more information go here or email [email protected]