DOC asks boaties to protect flesh-footed shearwaters this summer

Boaties around the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana are likely to see flesh-footed shearwaters this spring and summer, and DOC wants fishers to keep the seabirds safe.

DOC is focusing on the migratory seabird, which has pink feet and a pink bill, for World Migratory Bird Day for the southern hemisphere on Saturday 10 October. DOC advises fishers to sink berley deeper than 10 metres so seabirds can’t get at it.

DOC Principal Science Advisor Graeme Taylor said: “Avoiding fishing near seabird flocks is a good first step.”

Taylor explains that the birds mainly nest on offshore islands around northern New Zealand. They often follow fishing boats in summer and try to steal baits, so they need protection from hooks.

DOC suggests fishers can also cover up or clean away bait and scraps, because shearwaters can smell them from a long distance. It also suggests sinking baited hooks deep and fast with weighted sinkers, and avoiding braid or casting lines when birds are around the boat.

Plastic is another risk. Taylor describes increasing evidence of marine plastics killing chicks, with postmortems of dead shearwater chicks in colonies around New Zealand and Australia revealing stomachs full of plastic. DOC asks people to dispose of all plastics properly when they are on or near a beach.

The birds spend the southern winter in seas off Japan, then return in October to breed on northern offshore islands. DOC says their Hauraki Gulf populations are in decline and their conservation status in New Zealand is under review.

DOC also says migratory birds arriving this spring and early summer may bring an increased risk of H5 bird flu. It asks people to report a group of three or more sick or dead birds or other wildlife, such as seals, to the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66 or online at report.mpi.govt.nz.

DOC advises people not to touch sick or dead wildlife and to keep pets away.