Introduction

The Encounter Bay Penguin Breeding Monitoring Program was initiated in 1990 and is used as an indicator of the health of the penguin colonies, particularly in relation to human impact.

The major human impacts are issues relating to tourism, such as direct pressure from people seeking to have penguin experiences and indirect pressure from visitors carrying out activities such as fishing, walking, sightseeing, whale watching, etc., within the penguin colony. Other impacts that have appeared to affect the success of penguin breeding are construction and development of tourist facilities within the colony.

The monitoring program is crucial to responsibly manage this tourist operation, keeping a balance between conservation and tourism. Monitoring is carried out in three locations, Granite Island North Shore (High Tourist Impact Zone); Granite Island South Shore (Moderate Tourist Impact Zone); and West Island (Low Tourist Impact Zone). The research indicates that chick survival rates are lower in the higher tourist impact zone (North Shore - Granite Island). Lower Chick Survival Rates indicate the health of the colony is lower in this location.

It appears that although the chicks are less likely to survive to fledgling stage, that the North Shore is a preferred breeding site for penguins, despite the higher level of tourist pressure. This is likely to be due to the calmer, more protected physical environment for breeding, compared to the harsher, less protected physical environments in the other two locations.

It has been noticed that in years where building and construction work relating to tourist facilities occur, penguins are likely to have further reductions in chick survival rates. It is probable that this is related to additional disturbances.

In response to findings from the monitoring program, management strategies have been put in place in an attempt to reduce tourist pressure on the penguins, whilst maximising visitor experiences. TOP

Program Includes

Penguin protection management strategies include:

Guided interpretive tours - Quality tours that focus on interpreting penguin behaviours and adaptations. Visitors are educated in the management of penguins (the balance between conservation and tourism). Guide/tourist ratios are 1:25 and a limit of 200 people, viewing penguin with guides in the two hours after dusk. more >

Visitor access restrictions - Visitor access restrictions apply in the two hours after dark when the penguins are most vulnerable and when there is the highest demand to view them. Security personnel are trained penguin guides. All persons wishing to view penguins on the North Shore in the two hours after dark are required to be on a Guided Penguin Tour.

Penguin Security Guards - In the two hours after dark and for the whole night on weekends, public and school holidays, a penguin security guard is positioned on the North Shore of Granite Island to regulate and provide information to island visitors. This initiative has also been affective in deterring wilful vandalism, molestation and killing of penguins.

Board walks and fenced human trails - Board walks have allowed penguins large safe areas to access their burrows without human interference. It has also given visitors better views of the penguins coming home and going about their night time activities in the vicinity of their burrows. Fenced human walkways have provided penguins with safe areas without the threat of human intrusion. In response to this, penguins have shown to portray less cautious behaviour.

Habitat and homesite construction - Areas unsuitable for penguin habitat due to unsuitable soil and rock, weed invasion and manicured lawned areas have been reclaimed for penguin habitat. These areas have been transformed with introduced soil, penguin friendly vegetation planted, over 150 artificial penguin burrows strategically placed within the area and fencing to restrict human access. Penguins are busily taking up residence in these areas and using the burrows for breeding purposes.

Penguin Centre - The Penguin Centre has recently won a Regional Tourism Grant. This will enable the development of rehabilitation facilities, with an enclosure for penguins that are non-releasable. This facility will enable tourists to view the penguins during the day. It is anticipated that this will reduce the pressure from tourists interfering with penguins in order to have a penguin experience during the day. more > TOP

Methodology

The methodology of this study replicates that of past breeding monitoring programs in the Encounter Bay since 1990. The study uses breeding success to measure the health of the penguin colonies in three locations within Encounter Bay; Granite Island North Shore (High Tourist Impact Zone); Granite Island South Shore (Moderate Tourist Impact Zone); and West Island (Low Tourist Impact Zone). Liaisons with researchers at Philip Island Nature Park and South Australian National Parks and Wildlife have assisted in the initial implementation and methodologies of these studies. On going liaison has continued to date.

All banding procedures and penguin handling aim to minimise bird disturbance and only trained personnel assist. TOP

Discussion of Results

During the Penguin Breeding Monitoring Program for 2001 - 2002, breeding success was low throughout the Encounter Bay Region. This is consistent with findings from similar studies and observations throughout southern Australia. The Encounter Bay Region traditionally has two breeding cycles per year compared to one cycle in Philip Island. Our first clutch appeared to be far more successful than the second clutch where negligible breeding success was observed. Philip Island recorded negligible breeding success during the same period as our failed breeding result.

It is of apparent concern that the North Shore (high impact tourist zone) had 4% breeding success compared with 33% breeding success on Granite Island South Shore (Moderate Tourist Impact Zone); and 31% breeding success on West Island (Low Tourist Impact Zone) throughout the breeding season. This is a disappointing result considering the efforts to apply management strategies in recent years to reduce impacts from tourist pressure.

Taking into consideration disturbances from tourist pressure (although reduced in relation to previous years) and the occurrence of construction and development works (although carried out to cause minimal disturbance to penguins) the combined effect may have contributed to negligible breeding success on the North Shore in a year that was already not conducive to the normally higher breeding success results.

It is a positive finding from the results that nearly twice as many burrows were used for breeding on the North Shore than in the other two locations. This is consistent with previous years findings where it appears that the north shore, due to its physical environment, is a favoured location for breeding. Although the total number of eggs, chicks and clutches recorded on the North Shore are higher than the other two locations, the chances of chick survival during this breeding season were negligible. TOP

Further Research

It is likely that with the added management strategies to protect penguins, in the absence of construction and development works, in a year with more favourable breeding conditions, considering the preference to breed on the North Shore, a more favourable breeding result is likely to be achieved in the future than was achieved in 2001-2002.

Further monitoring of the penguins in Encounter Bay is essential to measure the success of management strategies put in place to reduce impacts from tourists on the colony. The data from the breeding monitoring program enables us to keep check on the health of the penguin colonies. TOP