Anger after birds die on cruise ship

Conservationists have been left saddened and angry over the deaths of seabirds that landed on board a cruise ship and were put in boxes instead of being released.

Sixty-four Buller’s shearwaters and four flesh-footed shearwaters landed onboard the Pacific Jewel as it approached Auckland on Tuesday, and the ship’s environmental officer kept the birds inside cardboard boxes.

Once in port, Ministry of Primary Industries quarantine officers alerted the Department of Conservation, but by that point many of the birds had died.

The understands 20 were already dead when DoC staff arrived, due to fighting and the stress of being in close confines with other birds.

Officials repackaged the surviving birds into better containers and offloaded them for transport to Green Bay Bird Rescue Centre, where they were tube-fed and kept temporarily.

Thirty-seven Buller’s shearwaters were released at night by DoC, Green Bay Bird Rescue and SPCA staff from Castor Bay cliffs facing the sea, away from lights and main roads.

DoC Auckland biodiversity supervisor Dr Art Polkanov said DoC would be working with Ports of Auckland to get information out to vessels on how to handle seabirds that land on ships.

Forest and Bird seabird advocate Karen Baird said the case was “heartbreaking”.

“This is a potentially major unknown source of mortality which will only get worse as shipping traffic increases into Auckland and needs immediate addressing.”