Submission to the Bass Coast Shire Council on the (Draft) Domestic Animal Management Plan 2012-2016 June 2012

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Submission by BirdLife Australia on the Bass Coast Shire Council

Draft Domestic Animal Management Plan 2012 - 2016

BirdLife Australia is pleased for the opportunity to make a submission on the Draft Domestic Animal Management Plan.

Background

BirdLife Australia (formerly Birds Australia) is a highly respected, science-based, not-for-profit conservation organisation. With our specialised knowledge and the commitment of our Australia-wide network of 10,000 members, and more than 25,000 volunteers and supporters, we are dedicated to achieving outstanding conservation results for our native birds and their habitats. We have an extensive ongoing program of research, including our National ‘Beach-nesting Birds’ Program, developed to address the severe impacts of people and their recreational activities on beaches on the breeding of Australia’s native resident shorebirds, and the Shorebirds 2020 program, designed to improve our understanding of shorebird populations in Australia and work towards their conservation and management. Both of these programs are active within the Bass Coast Shire.

Our primary concern regarding domestic animals in the Bass Coast Shire is around the unnecessarily high level of disturbance to shorebirds caused by inappropriate human recreation management, especially concerning domestic dogs and the threatened Hooded Plover. The impacts of human recreation have contributed wholly to the threatened status of beach-nesting birds due to the overlap with their breeding season in spring and summer months (August-March). There are several species of resident shorebirds in Australia that lay their eggs directly on the sand on beaches above the high-tide mark or in the dunes. In Victoria, this includes the Hooded Plover, Red-capped Plover, and Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers.

The Hooded Plover is the most threatened beach-nesting bird in Victoria because it relies exclusively on ocean beach habitat. There are approximately 550 Hooded Plovers found in Victoria and they are classified as Vulnerable on the DSE threatened species list (Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988). Given the extremely low breeding success of Hooded Plovers, where less than 5% of breeding efforts are successful, we predict that the population will ‘crash’ in the near future and become increasingly endangered as older birds start to die off, given there are so few juvenile replacements. Critical to conservation of the species is a shift in beach use behaviour, particularly towards responsible dog walking behaviour at nesting beaches.

How are breeding Hooded Plovers threatened by domestic dogs?

The impacts of dogs on Hooded Plovers are well documented and there is direct evidence for all of the below threats:

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Direct crushing of well-camouflaged eggs and chicks by dogs off leash moving above the high-tide mark and in the dunes;

Direct predation of eggs and chicks by dogs that detect their presence through scent or sight;

Disturbance of the incubating adults – research shows when an off leash dog approaches a nesting area that the birds react from double the distance and spend longer periods away from the nest, compared to a walker or walker with an on-leash dog (see Weston and Elgar 2007; Glover et al. 2011). This relates to the greater speed and the irregularity of direction that unleashed dogs take; they are more likely to explore and to move onto the upper beach (Burger 1986), while walkers more commonly choose to move linearly along the hard sand (and a leashed dog moves predictably alongside of them). This disturbance on a day with high temperatures or gale force winds can be lethal within less than 30 minutes for example. When a beach receives numerous visitors and numerous off leash dogs, then the impacts quickly become cumulative.

Disturbance of the chicks and adults – when the eggs hatch, the chicks are tiny, well-camouflaged and flightless for 35 days after hatching. They become mobile immediately after hatching and need to feed by the water’s edge. The role of the parents is to warn them of approaching danger. When a person or dog approaches, the chicks run from the water’s edge or seaweed line to the upper beach or dunes. If the dog chases the adults away from the chicks, then the chicks are left unattended and can be predated by gulls and ravens, or stepped on by other approaching people as the parents can’t herd them to safety. Contrary to popular belief, chasing is not the only impact of unleashed dogs to the chicks. Chicks go into hiding earlier (about 100m) and for longer periods when an unleashed dog is sighted, and can starve or dehydrate if hidden for too long a period (Weston and Elgar 2005).

Hooded Plovers on the Bass Coast

In 2006, the Beach-nesting Birds program began and Bass Coast was a key region included within the project. After building community interest and generating participation from volunteers and land managers, in early 2010, the ‘Friends of the Hooded Plover Bass Coast’ was formed. There are 28 breeding pairs of Hooded Plovers, one of the three highest density areas for Hooded Plovers across the coast of Victoria, South Australia and NSW. This makes it a top conservation priority for conservation of the Eastern subspecies. See Appendix 1.

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The beaches on the Bass Coast have had high breeding success relative to other areas of the Victorian coast and on average, produce 0.55 fledglings per breeding pair, where 0.47 fledglings/pair is the benchmark set for regions to contribute to a viable Victorian population. See graph below which reveals that breeding success of Hooded Plovers has increased over the years on the Bass Coast (‘South Gippsland’ on graph below). This is directly related investment by volunteers and an increase in the fencing and signing of nests on beaches which enables beach users to recognise these fragile areas. The Friends of the Hooded Plover Bass Coast have 25 volunteers and they are heavily involved in monitoring the breeding attempts of the 28 pairs along the beaches between Bore beach, San Remo and Point Norman beach, Inverloch.

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West Vic Bellarine Mornington Peninsula South Gippsland

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Comparative to other regions of the Victorian coast, human threats to the birds are less severe (e.g. compared to the developed coastlines of the Bellarine and Mornington Peninsulas), with numerous beaches within the Bass Coast Shire having relatively fewer visitors and fewer dog walkers than these other regions. Furthermore, the current dog regulations are in line with the minimum requirements for these birds, that is, they are restricted to having dogs on a leash and some are even dog prohibited areas. Volunteers

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collect data on threats at the sites and report levels of leashing. Analysis of data from spring 2006 to summer 2009 reveals that the proportion of dogs on the lead around Hooded Plover nesting sites on Bass Coast beaches is higher than in other regions of Victoria, however, is beginning to decline. [This proportion is calculated from 578 observations of dogs over three breeding seasons (August-March) on Bass Coast beaches.]

Proportion of dogs on the lead during visits to Hooded Plover beaches across Victoria

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Anglesea Bellarine Far West Victoria MPNP West Gippsland

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Comments on Draft Domestic Animal Management Plan for Bass Coast Shire

Below we address each point of significance as it appears in the plan:

Page 4: Stakeholder group or targeted consultation: it is essential to include BirdLife Australia and/or Friends of Hooded Plover Bass Coast in these consultations as we have the most up-to-date information on Hooded Plover locations and breeding history, plus statistics on dogs on and off leash at sites and identification of sites with poor dog regulation compliance. BirdLife Australia has had extensive experience advising local and state government agencies about the needs of the species and developed best practice management guidelines for Australia regarding beach-nesting bird conservation. BirdLife Australia has been on several stakeholder working groups including on the Mornington Peninsula and has directly advised City of Greater Geelong, Borough of Queenscliffe, and Surf Coast Shire on the dog regulation planning The importance of the Bass Coast region to the entire Victorian Hooded Plover population makes this area our top priority. Early engagement is essential to ensure that any planned changes will not negatively impact the species. Given the importance of the region to one of

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our flagship species, BirdLife Australia will ensure we are available for consultation at the earliest opportunity.

Page 6: The human population of the Bass Coast Shire is on the increase related to a ‘Sea Change’ and undoubtedly linked with this is the number of pets and desire to access beaches for off-leash dog walking. The success of Hooded Plovers within the region has been largely a product of the lower population pressure relative to the rest of the Victorian coast, and because Hooded Plover beaches are currently restricted to leash only access or no dog access. If the human and pet population is increasing, it is important that council have in place appropriate dog access to Hooded Plover beaches from the outset. This is what is currently in place, but we wish to ensure that the protective value of these regulations doesn’t regress as more pressure is placed on council to open up beaches for off leash access in future.

Page 10, ‘Investigate possibilities for additional off leash areas in the municipality’. In light of the threats of off-leash dogs on the threatened Hooded Plover as outlined on pages 1-2 above, it is crucial that beaches with breeding Hooded Plovers are not designated as off leash access areas. As a minimum, to protect these birds and ensure they have the chance to successfully breed (admist a suite of other human pressures), dogs must be on a leash across the entire breeding season, August to March (sometimes extending into April). Furthermore sites such as the mouth of the Powlett river, Reef island, Stockyard point, The Gurdies, the North side of Anderson Inlet and Observation Point near Rhyll are important areas for visiting migratory shorebirds from October to March, adding further rationale for ensuring these sites are protected from off leash access. For migratory shorebirds, disturbance when foraging and roosting can upset the fine balance of energy these birds require for making the incredible journey of ~12,000km to their Northern Hemisphere breeding grounds. It can mean that they do not survive this journey or do not have sufficient energy to breed upon return.

Page 10: ‘Improved education regarding responsible pet ownership: Utilise community groups as a means for community education’ – we suggest our Dogs Breakfast events are a great means of increasing community knowledge of responsible pet ownership and access to public areas, using a friendly relaxed setting to convey key messages. Appendix 2 provides details of how these events run.

Page 10: Currently the only ‘where can I walk my dog?’ map is of Phillip Island and we support the idea to make a map across the entire Bass Coast Shire. There is currently a PDF ‘Dogs in Bass Coast’ with written descriptions of where you can walk a dog. We commend council for specifically mentioning the Hooded Plover as a reason for restricted beach access within this ‘Dogs in Bass Coast’ document.

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Confusion however can stem from using site names and a map is far more user friendly and will allow for better uptake.

Page 11: Dogs on beaches feature consistently throughout the plan with respect to issues of safety and uncontrolled off-leash dogs, but also highlighted by Parks Victoria, is the issue of threatened species that breed on beaches (e.g. the Hooded Plover). We are pleased to see issues regarding dog access to beaches and to threatened wildlife drawn to attention within the management plan. Given the high quality of beach habitat along the Bass Coast region for the threatened Hooded Plover, breeding pairs are almost continuous from the Kilcunda trestle bridge to Cape Paterson Undertow Bay. This connects the issue of dogs on beaches primarily to conservation of the species, as within this stretch there is no capacity to implement an off leash area of beach without significantly impacting on the species’ population viability.

Page 13: The animal management plan is linked with the Council’s Vision Statement for ‘Cohesive communities’ and a feeling of community satisfaction toward community safety and enforcement of local laws. However, we think that the plan also strongly connects with ‘Sustainable environment’, as the Hooded Plover is a key threatened species within the Shire and there are several important RAMSAR sites for migratory shorebirds also. Given direct links between domestic animal management and the conservation of biodiversity, the plan strongly connects with this vision statement. Furthermore, while a high proportion of the community would be satisfied that the council is acting to protect threatened wildlife, our research has shown that dog walkers can sometimes be a group that place more importance on access to off leash beaches than to the needs of threatened wildlife (see Williams et al. 2011). This ultimately means that there may at times be conflict between addressing ‘Sustainable environment’ and community satisfaction. However, if events such as Dogs Breakfasts are adopted and a community education campaign carried out, then support for Hooded Plover conservation and enforcement become high. It must also be noted that ~40% of Hooded Plover volunteers across Victoria are dog owners.

Page 25: Nuisance category: Cats are recognised as a threat to flora and fauna, rightfully so, however, this is not specified for dogs. We believe that this signals a need to better educate the community about the ways that dogs too can pose threats to fauna.

Page 27: Objective 3.3 Improve awareness of regulations and requirements for responsible pet ownership – should incorporate a small paragraph about dogs on beaches and impacts on breeding Hooded Plovers as this educational information can give merit to the reasoning behind regulations. Again we recommend Dogs Breakfast events as a means of conveying responsible pet ownership messaging.

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Should you require any further information on this submission please contact Dr Grainne Maguire, Beach-nesting Birds Program Manager grainne.maguire@birdlife.org.au or (03) 9347 0757.

Yours Sincerely,

Samantha Vine Head of Conservation BirdLife Australia

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References

Burger, J. 1986. The effects of human activity on shorebirds in two coastal bays in northeastern United States. Environmental Conservation 13, 123-130.

Glover, H. K., Weston, M. A., Maguire, G. S., Miller, K. K. and Christie, B. A. 2011 Towards ecologically meaningful and socially acceptable buffers: Response distances of shorebirds in Victoria, Australia, to human disturbance. Landscape and Urban Planning 103, 326-334.

Weston, M. A. and Elgar, M. A. 2007. Responses of incubating Hooded Plovers (Thinornis rubricollis) to Disturbance. Journal of Coastal Research 23, 569-576.

Weston, M. A. and Elgar, M. A. 2005. Disturbance to brood-rearing Hooded Plover (Thinornis rubricollis): responses and consequences. Bird Conservation International 15, 193-209.

Williams, K. J. H., Weston, M. A., Henry, S. and Maguire, G. S. 2009. Birds and Beaches, Dogs and Leashes: Dog Owners' Sense of Obligation to Leash Dogs on Beaches in Victoria, Australia. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 14, 89-101.

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Appendix 1

Maps of Hooded Plover distribution within the Bass Coast Shire.

a) Distribution of Hooded Plovers along the Bass Coast from San Remo to Inverloch as revealed in a survey in November 2010 as part of a national biennial count.

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b) Distribution of Hooded Plovers on Phillip Island as revealed in a survey in November 2010 as part of a national biennial count.

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c) Distribution of Hooded Plover breeding sites from 2011 monitoring of breeding pairs.

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d) Distribution of Hooded Plover breeding sites from 2011 monitoring of breeding pairs.

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Appendix 2

BirdLife Australia’s Beach-Nesting Birds Program provides Tips on holding a Dog’s Breakfast

Social research, carried out in partnership between BirdLife Australia, The University of Melbourne and Deakin University, reveals that bringing about leashing on beaches can be one of the hardest behavioural changes to tackle. Surveys of dog walkers revealed a desire for off leash access ahead of the needs of threatened species such as the Hooded Plover. It was also revealed however that there was a lack of understanding about how dogs impact beach-nesting birds and migratory shorebirds, and the often lethal impacts were not broadly recognised. To tackle this lack of understanding, we established a method of providing information to dog owners in a friendly and non-confrontational way via ‘Dogs Breakfasts’ events. These have proved incredibly successful and can draw an enormous crowd. Dog walkers love the opportunity to socialise and learn more about local regulations and reasoning behind these.

The following points will aid in the organising of a Dog’s Breakfast event in your local area:

Location:

Best to be held in parkland or other dog walking area near to ‘important site’. Focus on site which regularly draws the most dog walkers.

A dog’s on-lead area is best, as off-lead dogs can cause difficulties when food is available.

If there is no undercover area it is also recommended to have a marquee for shelter and it also helps to draw attention to the event.

Don’t forget to speak to the land manager about holding an event, often a permit from the local council is needed to run events at a local park.

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Timing:

In the past these are run either on a weekend roughly 8-10am, or in the evening midweek 6-8pm (most commonly in the morning as you get the most dog walkers along). Examples of the fliers created for advertising events are below.

Event details:

We provide a free breakfast including sausages, eggs and bacon in rolls, vegetarian option (usually veggie sausage, not many needed), juice and water. With more funds available, a coffee van would be an extra bonus! If BBQ facilities are not available, a local group, such as Rotary or RSL can bring and run a portable BBQ at a small cost.

We provide food for the dogs too, including bowls of water, dry food, and a treat such as a Schmacko or a ‘pup cake’.

Conveying messages about responsible dog walking can occur either more casually where ‘experts’ wander through the crowd and speak individually with attendees, or presented more formally with ‘expert’ speakers talking for 2-5 minutes on their area of knowledge. ‘Experts’ typically include BirdLife Australia staff (about impacts on birds such as beach-nesters), a local land manager such as a Parks Victoria ranger (about the local regulations and broader wildlife needs), local council (about the local regulations and where it is best to walk dogs), a vet (health of dogs and walking on the lead) and local friends groups (the local environment and opportunities to participate/volunteer).

Vets or the local council may also be able to offer discounted micro-chipping, which is a big draw card and often a great way to get the local council on board.

Give-aways (see below) include stickers, dog leads, shorebird ID charts and a range of information brochures.

These events really do target the dog walkers, regardless of whether they have much of an interest in the environment … so remember every dog owner loves to talk about the pup

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