City Provides Funding Support for Little Penguin Research
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The City of Rockingham will provide $37,000 in funding to support an important research project, conducted by the University of Western Australia (UWA), to monitor the population of the little penguin colony on Penguin Island and marine health of the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park.
Council supported the funding proposal at its Council meeting on 25 July, which will be led by UWA experts and volunteers to carry out a series of night-time population counts on Penguin Island over the coming months.
This new study, carried out in partnership with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), will build on the data collected by researchers in 2019, which found the little penguin population had decreased significantly since studies began in 2007.
The Little Penguin Working Group was established in 2017 to address the declining little penguin population and consists of the DBCA, the City of Rockingham, little penguin researchers and other government stakeholders.
Mayor Deb Hamblin said the funding would support an existing research program which aims to provide an up-to-date understanding of the health, ecology and resilience of the little penguin colony.
“While Penguin Island and the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park is managed by DBCA, the City recognises that Penguin Island and the little penguins are an iconic part of our region that the community cares deeply about,” Mayor Hamblin said.
In recent years the City has advocated strongly to the State for measures to be taken that protect the wellbeing of the little penguin population. This funding, and the ongoing collaboration with DBCA, will enable researchers to assess the health of the population and their long-term sustainability.The study is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.