Urging Ministers to take immediate action at sea

Urging Ministers to take immediate action at sea

Te Tautiaki Hoiho Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust agrees with the letter ELI has sent to Ministers calling for the by-catch limit for hoiho to be set to zero and create seasonal no-take zones that activate when hoiho are most vulnerable, like in the breeding season and when juveniles fledge.

“We cannot in good conscience watch hoiho chicks fledge without safe passage at sea. One capture in a set net can have devastating consequences with as few as two breeding pairs in some locations” says General Manager of Te Tautiaki Hoiho Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust, Anna Campbell. “There is a huge community investment here in the South to support breeding success on land. Now, Ministers need to match that and put adequate protections in place for hoiho at sea. This is urgent. Every bird counts, and we are working hard to see the survival of this taonga species”

The mainland population of hoiho has declined by 80% in the last sixteen years. While threats on land can be largely mitigated by conservation efforts, including legal protection of coastal habitat, disease treatment and predator control, the unmitigated threats in the ocean are compounding.

“When the marine ecosystem is abundant and healthy, so too is the hoiho. We know when foraging conditions are good that adults, and in turn their chicks, are more likely to survive. But fishing and sedimentation are putting stress on an already depleted seafloor affecting foraging and increasing vulnerability. We see first hand the impact: the community works around the clock to rescue and rehabilitate injured, sick and starving hoiho. We must let the ocean recover if we want to see a future with these special birds on our beaches” explains Campbell.

As top predators, penguins are sentinels of the marine environment. In South Africa, overfishing and degradation of the marine ecosystem has been recognised as the driving factor in the collapse of the African Penguin population. On 18 March 2025, South Africa’s High Court ordered 10-year no-fishing zones around six penguin breeding colonies.

“The precedent has been set by other nations who accepted the problem at 10,000 breeding pairs, why can’t we do the same? New Zealand deserves this calibre of leadership and decision making to protect our unique wildlife” urges Campbell. “If protections aren’t put in place now, we potentially will see some of the last ever yellow-eyed penguins in Aotearoa.”