The future of the world ’s rare penguinhangs in the balance . issue of the precious seabird have slump recently due to the loss of almost half of all genteelness adult on some islands . Over the past 30 years , the number ofyellow - eyed penguins , also experience as hoiho , has neglect to the scummy on phonograph recording , as conservationists fear that commercial-grade fishing may be submit its toll .
The news comes after researchers surveyed the south New Zealand island of Whenua Hou , or Codfish Island . They find that despite being a wildlife sanctuary , one-half of the entire island ’s engender population has vanished . Because the birds seemingly vanish at ocean , it is thought that the animals are being caught as by-catch in local fisheries and fishermen are not reporting the issue caught .
The hoiho used to live along much of the southern island ’s coastline , but despite approaching 7,000 birds in 2000 , this act has crashed to an estimated 1,600 to 1,800 penguins . “ This bird is so particular that it appears on New Zealand ’s five dollar bill note,”saidForest & Birdchief administrator Kevin Hague . “ The critical information about the Whenua Hou catastrophe should not have been adjudge back from the public . ”
While Whenua Hou is not the only nesting internet site for the birds , the colony there is a beneficial index number of the threats faced by the species . The small island has had its population of invading predatory animal like rats and stoat removed , meaning that in theory there should be no terrestrial threats bequeath . This suggests that whatever is stimulate the declivity is out at sea , potentially affect other penguin population .
“ Unlike old eld where disease and mellow temperatures caused death on land , this twelvemonth birds have disappeared at sea , ” continued Hague . “ There is an fighting set final fishery within the penguins ’ Whenua Hou foraging ground , and the indications are that intimately half the Whenua Hou hoiho population has been drowned in one or more of these nets . ”
Because the birds are often feeding in the same piss that ships angle in , they are at particular risk of being catch by fortuity . But despite this peril – and the bird ’s endangered condition – only 3 percent of boats have independent observers on board to find out the bycatch . Earlier this year , Forest & Bird render that almost all recorded penguin deaths came from this 3 percent of gravy boat , suggesting that other unseen fishing vessel just are n’t immortalize the deaths themselves .
There are now serious concern that we are running out of metre to hold launch the hoiho , unless activity is train by the government and conservation plans drawn up immediately .
