Fire is a high risk for birds like yellow-eyed penguins and albatrosses which nest in dense tussock or scrub. Fire destroyed part of Te Rere yellow-eyed penguin colony in Southland several years ago. Local schools helped the Department replant and restore the area. Pollution of the oceans is a major problem world-wide. Heavy metals and chemical contaminants accumulate through the marine food chain and get passed on to top-order predators such as seabirds.
Plastic is hazardous for seabirds.
Birds can pick up and swallow small items of plastic, mistaking them for food. Some birds get plastic caught around their neck, head, wings and feet, and become entangled and drown. Increased sea surface temperatures and toxic algal blooms can lead to catastrophic changes affecting marine food chains. Birds such as penguins and shags that feed close to shore are particularly susceptible to these changes. The Department is working closely with the fishing industry to reduce the numbers of albatrosses caught on long lines in New Zealand's seas.