St Kilda Penguin Study by Neil Blake
The St Kilda Penguin Study group began in 1986, prompted by concerns the dangers to penguins associated with unrestricted human access to the breakwater, and a proposal to redevelop St Kilda harbour. The then St. Kilda City Council sought to commission the Little Penguin expert - Emeritus Professor Mike Cullen of Monash University to study the colony. Mike declined payment, however he initiated an ongoing, independent study of the colony. Fortnightly visits to the Breakwater by the Penguin Study Group - a small band of dedicated research volunteers, has been ongoing since then.
From a penguins perspective, the study involves being caught by a herd of large animals. One holds you while another proceeds to place a metal band around your right flipper. The animal then puts you in a bag that is attached to a small 2kg scale. In the darkness of the bag, you can hear them muttering about your weight, where you were located when found, what you were doing at the time. After a short time you are taken out of the bag and put back where found! Strange animals these humans!
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Some people see this process as highly intrusive. But the observation of the PSG is that penguins being handled are angry rather than afraid, and the hard data gathered by the study has given the colony a status that it would otherwise not have. Prior to the study there was a prevailing view that the "colony" was just a few blow-ins from Phillip Island who would soon go elsewhere. Mike's substantial database of St Kilda penguins has been invaluable in establishing the St Kilda penguins as an independent and viable colony, and also enabled good decisions to be made about the best time of year to conduct high impact maintenance work on the breakwater. The major issues faced by the colony in 1986 were unrestricted human and dog access to the colony area, the inevitable need to rebuild the breakwater, the absence of oil spill response plans, and the need to eliminate/reduce non-biodegradable litter (particularly plastic) entering the marine environment. With the exception of the latter, these have all been addressed to the extent that is possible. |
Currently Earthcare conducts ethical research that aids in management and conservation of the colony, and protects the penguins.
Congratulations Earthcare on a long and successful campaign and warm thanks to the late Mike Cullen (an unsung hero in the natural history of St Kilda!) for his professorial support and scientific integrity. Without this most community concerns would have been dismissed as emotional beat-ups.
Earthcare St Kilda
Postal: PO Box 287 Elwood, 3184
Email:
earthcarestkilda@gmail.com