For the second year in a row, one of Australia’s largest breeding colonies of Little Penguins has suffered a very poor breeding season, according to Charles Sturt University wildlife researcher, Associate Professor Nicholas Klomp.

“There is now a real danger this year’s poor season, coupled with poor breeding over four of the past five years, could see a dramatic fall in breeding numbers on Montague Island in coming year,” said Professor Klomp.

“In the 1998/99 season, less than five per cent of laid eggs were hatched and raised to fledglings, from 5,000 breeding pairs of Little Penguins that breed on Montague Island. This figure was nearly 60 per cent just two years ago.”

“This situation is reflected elsewhere along the NSW coast, with the breeding of Little Penguin severely affected on Five Islands, Bowen Island and Lion Island. The population on Phillip Island in Victoria, however, appears unaffected this year.”

Professor Klomp recently completed a major review of penguin numbers on Montague Island, part of the Eurobodalla National Park on the NSW South Coast. “So far, breeding numbers have remained relatively stable since CSU began studies on Little Penguins in 1992. However, this latest breeding failure could see breeding numbers fall dramatically over coming years,” he said.

“Our research indicates that this year’s fall in young penguins reaching the sea is due to poor food stocks for nesting adults. The birds feed on small baitfish and squid and there were much lower numbers of these animals in nearby seas, resulting in less food for the young, and adults needing to swim further afield to find food.”

“It will take much longer, however, to find out why food stocks have fallen and if we can manage these stocks better.”