Standard Presentation 2024 Australian Marine Sciences Association Annual Meeting combined with NZMSS

New Zealand vs Australia; stark differences at biogeographical and local scales in the predator-prey relationship between long-nosed fur seals and little penguins (#296)

Sarah-Lena Reinhold 1 2 3 , Simon D Goldsworthy 1 3 , Sean Connell 1 , Rebecca McIntosh 2
  1. University of Adelaide, School of Biological Sciences, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  2. Conservation Department, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Cowes, VIC, Australia
  3. South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) Aquatic Sciences, West Beach, South Australia, Australia

In Australia, there is a perception that the recent recovery of long-nosed fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) populations is driving a decline in little penguin (Eudyptula minor) populations. As the long-nosed fur seal populations expand in south-eastern Australia, likely reflecting the species distribution prior to colonial and Aboriginal sealing histories, human-seal conflicts are currently emerging. Coexisting across Australia and New Zealand, a review of the literature shows that penguins can be an important prey at some Australian long-nosed furs seal sites (1997-2017), but in New Zealand, penguins are near absent from the diet (1943-2018). Long-nosed fur seal scats were collected (n=979) between 2017-19 from 23 sites across South and south-eastern Australia. Little penguin remains were detected in 0-58% (mean 19%) of scats, with six identified as predation hot-spots, half of which occur in Victoria. The spatial variability evident in this study highlights the need for site-specific predation risk assessments. Compared to Australia's ‘super’ penguin colonies (up to 42,000 breeding pairs), New Zealand's smaller colonies may reduce the energetic benefit to long-nosed fur seals to predate little penguins, instead targeting alternative prey. Future management in Australia should focus on reducing terrestrial pressures on penguin breeding sites to help populations absorb natural predation.