Kaikōura wildlife advocates are disappointed the district’s little penguins have been left off the Government’s avian flu vaccination list.
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
The Kaikōura Wildlife Centre Trust and local councils have called for the little penguin / kororā to be included in the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) H5N1 vaccination programme.
But DOC said the little penguin was not included as the birds are not at risk of extinction and wildlife vaccinations were labour intensive and stressful on the birds.
Kaikōura Deputy Mayor Vicki Gulleford said the council was disappointed at DOC’s decision, as Kaikōura’s little penguins were at risk of local extinction.
‘‘We have a really small population which our community and volunteers are trying to keep safe and trying to grow the numbers,” Gulleford said.
‘‘The birds are used to being handled so we firmly believe we could manage the vaccination without too much distress, and we would appreciate the Government looking at it further and supporting us.’’
Mayor Craig Mackle wrote to Conservation Minister Tama Potaka earlier this month backing the trust’s call for penguin vaccinations.
Kaikōura Wildlife Centre Trust manager Sabrina Luecht said Kaikōura’s kororā had low and declining numbers, limited breeding locations and high intervention care.
‘‘DOC’s species prioritisation system is flawed and limited to threat classification only, failing to incorporate multi-threat assessments for highly threatened populations already at risk of extinction.’’
As a highly infectious strain of H5N1 bird flu spreads around the world, natives such as the kākapō and takahē are being protected. (Source: 1News)
Work to protect kororā was largely done by volunteers, who were permitted to provide emergency care, preventative care and microchipping for monitoring.
It meant DOC did not have the same understanding about population numbers, she said.
Environment Canterbury chairperson Dr Deon Swiggs said kororā were facing ‘‘significant pressures’’, including predation, human disturbance and changing marine conditions.
‘‘Kororā are an important part of Kaikōura's coastal ecosystem, and their long-term protection will require ongoing collaboration between community groups, councils, DOC and other partners.’’
Swiggs and councillor Genevieve Robinson wrote to Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard earlier this month seeking support for localised responses to the impacts of avian influenza on native wildlife populations.
ECan provided $25,000 this year to support kororā protection work, including a predator exclusion fence around a key nesting colony, and supporting the Kaikōura Wildlife Centre Trust’s initiatives.
DOC H5 bird flu manager Ash Murphy said vaccination was only approved for emergency use for New Zealand's most threatened birds.
‘‘Each bird needs to be caught and identified, given a health check and swabbed, then vaccinated.
‘‘A second or booster dose is given three to four weeks after the first to provide full protection for up to six months.’’
Murphy said the Kaikōura Wildlife Centre Trust and other community groups played a valuable role in protecting kororā.
Vaccination was not the best tool for most native species, which will need to develop immunity to survive, he said.
Overseas experience had shown bird populations recovered as they developed immunity and conservation efforts played a role, he said.
‘‘The best protection is good biosecurity, close monitoring, protecting breeding areas, reducing disturbance and continuing other conservation work like trapping that supports penguin populations.’’
Bird species on DOC’s vaccination programme included kākāpō, takahē, tūturuatu/shore plover, kakī/black stilt and kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet.
There have been three confirmed cases of H5 bird flu in New Zealand, after it was first detected in July.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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