At the Oamaru Penguin Symposium last week two presentations were made on the use of transponders (injectable pit tags) in New Zealand penguins. While transponders have been used in other species in NZ and in penguins elsewhere, the use of "new" techniques in animal research by the Dept of Conservation must be approved by its animal ethics committee. This usually requires some sort of trial to demonstrate the lack of adverse effects.
The results of such a trial in yellow-eyed penguins and the resulting "best practice" document (
see announcement) were presented to the meeting by Brent Beaven. A progress report on developing a similar best practice document for blue penguins was presented by Graeme Taylor of the Department of Conservation Banding Office.
In short, transponders are now approved for use in yellow-eyed penguins in approved reasearch/management programmes (non-Dept Conservation staff will require a research permit) and their use in blue penguins should be approved in the near future.
Unlike the bands currently provided by DOC's banding office, the transponders will not be provided free of charge. Transponder users will have to fund their own equipment and supplies.
Following the symposium a small number of Otago-based spheniscophiles were trained in transponder insertion by Graeme Taylor with 40 blue penguins from the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony volunteering to assist with the training.
Photo: Graeme Taylor and a volunteer penguin demonstrating transponder insertion
Author