Dog cameras are on the cards after Penguin’s death

City council officials are considering using cameras to crack down on wandering dogs after a number of penguin deaths appear to have been caused by escaped dogs.

At Tasman District Council’s Environmental Regulation Committee meeting last month, Director of Regulation Adrian Humphreys said there had been another death of a small blue penguin/colora at the Alex Ryder Reserve in the previous week.

“In reality, there are probably one or two dogs living in the area. [and] They come out at night and do bad things,” Humphries said.

Council officers had installed cameras in Little Kaiteriteri, where dog attacks have been occurring, “so that at any time we could catch the dogs actually going there and biting the penguins”.

The latest penguin was discovered by a member of the public on November 9th and sent for autopsy by the Department of Conservation, which confirmed that the penguin had died from a dog attack.

Linda Jenkins from the Tasman Bay Blue Penguin Trust said trail cameras near penguin burrows sometimes captured dogs near the entrance.

Penguin advocates were “not happy” when that happened, she said, “because it meant the dog was off-leash and uncontrolled.”

Jenkins said these deaths could have been prevented by keeping dogs on leashes and slowing down on roads.

Three little blue penguins were killed by a dog on Little Kaiteriteri Beach in May, and five Korora little blue penguins died within a few months last year.

Councilor Dan Shalkras said some dog owners were concerned about “losing the privilege of walking their dogs on the beach.”

The city council’s dog management bylaw, which covers dog exercise areas, needs to be reviewed by November next year.

The proposed ordinance will be workshopped with city council members in February, followed by public recruitment and public hearings.

Mr Humphries said if people had concerns they should bring them to council.

Ms Jenkins welcomed the review and said the trust would seek better management of dogs in habitat areas.

Plans for an early review of elements of the bylaw came in 2020, when dog owners turned out in droves to Motueka Community Board meetings to vehemently oppose proposals to ban dogs from beaches between Marahau and Tapu Bay. I attended the meeting and it was cancelled.

The initial review considered targeting targeted changes to bylaws affecting Motueka and Golden Bay wards. Each corresponding community board was given delegated authority to handle the process leading up to the adoption of the ordinance.

Part of the reason was concerns about dogs accessing beaches where little blue penguins nest.

However, the proposal was scrapped after the community committee agreed to recommend to council not to proceed with an early review of the Motueka ward.

However, the Golden Bay District agreed to allow dogs on leashes on Commercial Street in Takaka, and dog entry at Tata Beach “considering the avian population in the area.” has made some changes to the hours allowed, public relations manager Chris Choate said.

The council has begun an early review of its dog-bylaw bylaw, which is due to conclude on December 14 and can be accessed at https://shape.tasman.govt.nz/dog-bylaw-review.