Yellow-eyed penguin Stock-take: what did we learn?   Bruce McKinlay DOC, Dunedin Yvette Couch-Lewis Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Christchurch Sue Murray Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust, Dunedin Kerri-Anne Edge Hill edge effect, Te Anau

Acknowledgement A lot of hardworking volunteers, researchers, managers, delivery staff and rūnanga gave willingly of their time to help us: thank you.

Background There is demand for an up to date strategy to guide Hioho Recovery 2014 Pūtea Tautiaki Hapori Fund grant for hoiho recovery to YEP Trust contingent upon: “a review of yellow-eyed penguin recovery with Terms of Reference to be developed jointly by Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust, Ngāi Tahu, and the Department of Conservation”. The Stock-take was initiated in 2015 and the report is to be released in the coming weeks.  The Stocktake Team was made up of representatives of the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust, Ngai Tahu, and DOC. Explain these relationships Functions are DOC with statutorily responsible Treaty Partnership relationship with TRONT The Trust were identified as the is a DOC Partner relationship Community

Current Context The stock-take report is now being finalised by the Review Team. This is the first presentation of the preliminary results The draft report itself has not been approved by DOC.

Stage 2 A revised strategy for hoiho recovery The Departments process: to undertake a stocktake before being able to develop a future strategy. Two stages: Stage 1 Stock-take of progress against species recovery objectives in the existing Hoiho Recovery Plan 2000 - 2015 Stage 2 A revised strategy for hoiho recovery Why is it a staged capproach. To check: where strategies are working progress against current plan; relevance of the current plan elicit responses from partners. To inform a new strategy

Process Terms of Reference Process inclusive: capture perspectives and mātauranga of Ngāi Tahu Whānui (Treaty Partnership) Kaimahi and stakeholder perspectives and knowledge gathered Review progress against the current plan objectives and actions Provide platform for new species recovery strategy. Terms of reference for the review developed and provided the basis for the work completed to date. The stock-take is focussed on the objectives of the plan and associated kaitiakitanga and conservation of this species. The brief was to: Be inclusive: capture the perspectives/ mātauranga of Ngāi Tahu Whānui (Treaty Partnership); Kamahi/stakeholder perspectives gathered. Review progress against the objectives of the existing plan – the idea being that this information would then lead to establishing a critical platform for a new species Recovery Plan Review progress against the RP objectives and actions Identify gaps Provide critical platform for new species Recovery Plan

The Stock-take Team have remained focused on being objective and impartial and inclusive to ensure that that the process provides a robust and meaningful recovery strategy for hoiho that extends beyond the events of the recent breeding seasons.

Approach 51 Questions designed to: Elicited responses Characterise diversity of participants Assess progress against current plan Objectives and Actions Identify gaps in the existing strategy and address one areas of immediate concern Inform a new strategy Elicited responses Before Ngāi Tahu whānui could contribute to the stock-take it was deemed critical to bring together what was known of the whakapapa of hoiho as a working tool in establishing the kaupapa and future direction that Ngāi Tahu whānui wish to pursue. A paper on this topic was commissioned from Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Heritage – Puna Mahara Team, Tribal Interests Group. A questionnaire based on the Hoiho Recovery Plan and other identified priorities was developed by the Stock-take Team (51 questions). Designed to: characterise the diversity of participants; specifically to develop an understanding about the participants past and present involvement with hoiho and to recognise specific mātauranga/knowledge and tautōhito/experience that informed their responses to the questions about the recovery plan objectives and actions Assess progress against the Recovery Plan Objectives and Actions regarding possible gaps in the existing strategy and one area of immediate concern: the Yellow-eyed Penguin Database The questionnaire was sent to all participants so that they could prepare for a meeting with the Stock-take Team, Ngāi Tahu representative, or opt to provide a written submission. Sent questionnaire and invited to participate: face-to-face, phone, video, written submission Contributions were received from 91 individuals from Auckland to Rakiura. We conducted individual and small-group interviews either face-to-face or by video/phone conference. A small number of written submissions were also received. Notes were compiled from each interview and returned to contributors to ensure we had captured their input truthfully. Peer-reviewed science publications; reports and student dissertations were included as a measure of progress against the RP objectives and actions. We reviewed the submission and looked for common comment and the exceptions. We drew conclusions form considering this range of material. Area of concern: e.g. Hoiho/Yellow-eyed Penguin Database

Kaupapa tīpoka Whānui saw it to be their responsibility as kaitiaki to be involved in managing the well-being of their taonga species, Te Hoiho: “A self-sustaining population of hoiho maintains its ecological range in balance with other species in the ecosystem. A self-sustaining population can sustain a cultural harvest for mahinga kai purposes by Ngāi Tahu.” The current recovery plan lacks a component that specifically covers the relationship Ngāi Tahu have with hoiho and their involvement as kaitiaki of the bird.

Contributors 91 people (Auckland to Rakiura) contributed: 25 individuals from 13 Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga; 73 kaimahi/stakeholder groups. Scientists/ Managers. Notes compiled from each interview and returned to each contributor to ensure their input was captured truthfully. Peer-reviewed science publications; reports and student dissertations were includedTook a lot longer than originally thought.

Critical strategic issues Genuine engagement with Ngai Tahu Perspectives and role of Ngai Tahu are reflected in a new strategy Delivery of current objectives variable Changes in tourism: tourist behaviour, scale, policy Focusing on the best interests of the species in our work Sub-antarctic populations: represent different genetic diversity to mainland Significant issues in the marine environment Some objectives/actions of the current Recovery Plan have been met. However some have not resulted in any measureable and/or tangible benefit to the species.

Stocktake Recommendations to the DOC decision maker include A new hoiho strategy is suggested Perspectives of Ngāi Tahu be reflected DOC to provide leadership Recognition of the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust as a key programme partner Interagency approach is required The current recovery plan is no longer fit-for-purpose and new direction is required to guide work done by DOC, its Treaty Partner Ngai Tahu, and hoiho conservation partners.  Greater understanding exists now as to the genetic structuring and distinctiveness of the mainland / Rakiura and Subantarctic populations including their role as kaitiakitanga of hoiho and their aspirations for mahinga kai/cultural use. to address pressures on hoiho across the marine and terrestrial environments they occupy.

Recommendations continued: Recovery objectives and actions must be SMART The full range of specialist technical and science knowledge/mātauranga must be sought. Covers the issues and priorities throughout the full geographic range of the species. Updated and relevant goal for the species. Acknowledgement of the range of hoiho partners and stakeholders. Structure the new strategy for hoiho around biologically meaningful populations of the species rather than taking a human-centric approach (i.e. Department of Conservation district boundaries; Summary of Recommendations 3). Specific, Measurable, Acheivable, Results-focussed and Time-bound.

In summary: The Stock-take has given us a species-wide perspective of where we and hoiho are at. Critical issues must be addressed to ensure the persistence of hoiho. Report is thorough. Took longer than expected. Conscious decsions to be broad and inclsive approach to provide a good foundation for Stage 2. Stengthened our relationship with Ngai Tahu and our understanding of their perspective and aspirations of mahing kai. Represents a comprehensive and critical assessment of the current hoiho recovery programme and recovery plan. 

It is inclusive of perspectives of all those who contributed. Summary continued It is inclusive of perspectives of all those who contributed. Once approved the stock-take report will rationale for guiding the development of a new hoiho recovery strategy. In addition to high-level recomendations, multiple objective- and action-specific recommendations are provided, relevant to the key themes of hoiho recovery including: predator control, habitat restoration, fisheries, penguin rehabilitation, advocacy, tourism impacts, population monitoring and priority research. the Treaty Partner: Ngāi Tahu, Yellow-eyed penguin Trust as key programme partner, hoiho conservation partners and kaimahi and stakeholder groups.

Thank you!