Waiheke penguin plight shows our broken relationship with nature

Tuesday, 22 June 2021

The kororā is a tāoka (treasured) species and a protected native species.

OPINION: We need to prioritise our wildlife if we want to protect it. It seems so obvious, and yet economic motives nearly always trump ecological integrity.

The work on a planned marina at Kennedy Point on Waiheke Island where the kororā (little blue penguin) nest is a case in point.

Developers were to begin the work in May by removing some rocks at the base of a wall where the kororā burrow.

With legal avenues exhausted, the protectors at Kennedy Point say they've no choice but to occupy the beach.

Due to the courage and fortitude of a protest group called Save Kennedy Point, the destruction of the penguin's home was put on ice.

* Arrests at Waiheke's Kennedy Point as fight to protect penguins escalates

People opposed to the Kennedy Point marina protest outside the developers' offices in Takapuna, Auckland.

* Beach occupiers protesting Waiheke marina will leave — on hīkoi to Parliament

* Four-year court fight over as Waiheke marina developers and campaigners settle**

The protesters kayaked and snorkelled around the bay to prevent the construction workers beginning the destruction of the wall. Heroes – each and every one.

Waiheke Native Bird Rescue's Karen Saunders with a little blue penguin.

There quite simply is no ying without yang. If you want to construct something, it often involves the destruction of something else.

Or to put it another way, to make an omelette you have to break a few eggs.

In the case of Kennedy's Point, we may be breaking a few metaphorical eggs of the kororā to construct a marina for boats and people to enjoy.

The plight of the kororā is not rocket science, but it is ecological science, which is arguably much more important for us to get our heads around. And our hearts. Because we need to care for the environment, see it's worth in ecological, spiritual, cultural and aesthetic terms and not just dollar signs.

The kororā is a tāoka (treasured) species and a protected native species. It is the smallest penguin species on the planet.

Developers have reportedly hit back at the protesters, saying they are 'committed to protecting the birds'.

They contacted Waiheke Native Bird Rescue general manager Karen Saunders asking her to remove penguins on site, but she wasn’t having it, calling the conversation 'repulsive'.

Saunders made the point that the destruction of penguin habitat was illegal under the Wildlife Act.

Save Kennedy Point and Whānau of Piritahi Marae are campaigning to stop the construction of a marina at Kennedy Point on Waiheke Island.

Saunders also said it was animal cruelty – which it is. The rock wall contains 27 burrows, and these are the penguins' homes.

The burrow is extremely important to the kororā. It is where they nest and bring up their young. Kororā are faithful to their home site and will often nest only metres from where they hatched.

According to Saunders, the Waiheke penguins’ welfare was at risk as there had been a late breeding season. Pairs that were unsuccessful the first time may have gone into second-time breeding mode and may have had a fledgling recently.

They would then go out and eat for two to three weeks before returning home to moult.

Basically, if their burrow has been destroyed then they will be cold and homeless and stressed. When they moult they cannot swim and so are especially vulnerable.

The kororā is easily disturbed by humans. The Department of Conservation says they are declining in numbers in part due to interference from humans.

Insects are vital to the world's ecosystems, but 40 per cent of species are declining and a third are endangered.

They get caught in set nets. They are vulnerable to climate change and ocean pollution. They are also declining due to habitat destruction and attacks by introduced species such as dogs and cats.

It’s madness. And the kororā is just one of many species that are declining worldwide as a result of human activity.

The WWF Living Planet Report 2020 revealed a global species loss of 68 per cent in less than 50 years. This includes mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles.

The report says that 70 per cent of this loss has been caused by conversion of land for agriculture. WWF says the findings of the report are clear: “Our relationship with nature is broken.”

Yes indeed. The destruction of kororā habitat to make room for a marina is indeed a symptom of our broken relationship with nature.

Insects are undergoing mass-extinction events as well, despite outweighing humanity by 17 times.

Urbanisation, climate change, use of pesticides and habitat destruction have all contributed to the harrowing statistics: 40 per cent of insect species are declining and a third are endangered. Insects are the most diverse and abundant animals on earth and they are critically important to the health of ecosystems.

In my lifetime there has been so much biodiversity loss. The planet is now at the start of the sixth great extinction in history.

The kind of grief this causes me, and others like me, is monumental. It is like someone is turning off the lights, nature is dimming and life is fading away.

This is the apocalypse. It hurts.

The term for this kind of pain was coined in 2018 and is called ecological grief. We feel it when we have a close relationship with the natural environment.

So let’s all stand up for the kororā and every single animal that remains threatened by humans.

The time is now.

Dr Lynley Tulloch is a lecturer in education, specialising in sustainability education.