THREATENED AND IMPORTANT SPECIES

PRIORITY BS1

Shearwaters and penguins

Short-tailed Shearwaters and Little Penguins both nest in burrows along the Cradle Coast region’s coastlines. They attract strong community interest and engagement, but face threats due to human impacts on coastlines, as well as threats affecting the oceans where they feed, such as climate change causing warming waters and reduced feed sources like krill.

Short-tailed Shearwaters are migratory birds that spend winters in the northern hemisphere, and return to dig out burrows, mate and raise chicks in the Tasmanian summer.

They are a culturally-significant species to many Tasmanian Aboriginal people, who have traditionally harvested “muttonbirds” or yula, as a food source and for income.

Little Penguins, while not listed as threatened in Tasmania, are important to the Cradle Coast community. One Little Penguin viewing location, staffed by volunteers in Burnie, had more than 11,000 visitors in one summer season recently. Colonies face threats from human disturbance, feral and domestic cats, and domestic dogs.

outcome

By 2030, four threats to Short-tailed Shearwater and Little Penguin populations are being managed successfully and adaptively along priority sections of the coast.

threats

Local threats that can be addressed by NRM actions:

  • Land use pressures on coastlines including development, expansion of urban areas, intensification of industries and poor management practices
  • Feral animals, pests and disease
  • Pollution of waterways and oceans, including marine debris which can entangle birds and be ingested by them
  • Human use of coastlines for recreation
  • Domestic dogs

Actions

BS1.a

Lead citizen science mapping and threat analysis using the Little Penguin Toolkit.

Support dog and cat management activities including regional domestic animal management and feral cat management at prioritised penguin and shearwater colonies.

Implement a marine debris reduction program – stop at source + clean-up at coast.

Develop partnerships with councils to address coastal management issues affecting seabirds and shorebirds.

implementation

Investment Opportunity

  • Australian Government
  • Tasmanian Government
  • Regional or Local
  • Private or philanthropic

  • Information gathering activities including monitoring and threat assessments, and supporting muttonbird harvest sustainability assessments.
  • Policy and planning activities such as prioritisation of appropriate management actions and locations for investment, and engagement in council land-use, cat and dog management and waste management planning processes.
  • On-ground work including habitat protection and rehabilitation at priority sites, supporting domestic cat management initiatives, supporting targeted feral cat management initiatives, marine debris clean-up and monitoring activities, and supporting point source pollution management initiatives.
  • Behaviour-change and capacity-building activities – education, awareness and skill-building focused on coastal biodiversity values.

Local Councils; Government agencies; Aboriginal groups; Landcare, Wildcare and other community groups; Land managers; volunteers; researchers.

Field days, workshops and educational activities focused on coastal biodiversity values and domestic pet management; volunteer and citizen science opportunities; support for the Aboriginal community to carry out muttonbird sustainability assessments.