The popular penguin, which won last year’s "Bird of the Year" competition and also features on the New Zealand $5 note, has had another poor year for seasonal nest counts with only 143 known nests on mainland New Zealand, including Stewart Island/Rakiura.
Seasonal (2024-25) nest counts across coastal Otago, Southland and Stewart Island showed numbers were substantially down compared with previous years, with an ongoing decline of 80% since 2008-09.
Department of Conservation Southern South Island director of operations Aaron Fleming said nest numbers were only part of the picture.
"The higher concern is there are less than 100 yellow-eyed penguin chicks on Stewart Island and mainland New Zealand, and of these there is no guarantee of their long-term survival.
"As long-lived seabirds, hoiho have a low reproductive rate and low juvenile survival. Of the chicks that will shortly fledge, it is expected that less than 20% of these individuals will survive to adulthood."
Mr Fleming said declining mainland hoiho numbers pointed to multiple threats including disease, introduced predators, human disturbance, a significant shift in adult diet, fisheries bycatch and marine predation.
"Work to save this taonga species includes predator control, monitoring nests, disease and injury treatment, starvation interventions and planting of native vegetation to restore hoiho habitat."
The Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust recently appointed Anna Campbell to lead the organisation, with a focus on innovation to accelerate restoration of coastal ecosystems.
"Nest and chick numbers are critically low on mainland New Zealand.
"Now is the time to come together, be bold and brave — collaborating can enhance our potential to protect the hoiho.
"We are committed to a future where hoiho thrive in the natural environment."
The hoiho governance group includes the Department of Conservation, Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust, Ngāi Tahu and Fisheries New Zealand, working together to implement Te Kaweka Takohaka mō te Hoiho — a strategy for pulling hoiho back from the brink of extinction. — APL
