Fears bird flu could have 'devastating' effect on Phillip Island penguins

Environmentalists fear bird flu could devastate Phillip Island little penguin population Wed 5 Aug 2026 at 7:03am In short: Conservationists fear H5 bird flu could devastate Phillip Island's Little Penguin colony. There are more than 40,000 penguins in the Phillip Island colony, which is a major tourist attraction. What's next? Authorities say they are enacting Phillip Island's bird flu response plan. Environmentalists are concerned about "devastating effects" on Phillip Island's penguin colony and other wildlife as bird flu cases continue to spread throughout the state. The major tourism hub, located around two hours south of Melbourne, is home to penguins, seals, and other animals susceptible to the bird flu strain taking hold across the country. Victoria's first case of H5N1 was confirmed at Portland on the state's far south-west coast last week. There are now seven confirmed cases in Victoria. At least 78 cases of the virus have been confirmed across Australia, after the first case was detected in Western Australia in June. Environment Victoria nature campaigns manager Chris Schuringa said if the H5 bird flu reached the island, it could cause "mass deaths" of the little penguin population. "It could be a catastrophic wildlife emergency,"she said. "It's very alarming how quickly things are moving. "Unfortunately, we are likely to see really high mortality rates once this spreads." Ms Schuringa said not a lot can be done once the birds have contracted the virus. "The virus is transmitted very quickly and quite easily, so really any area is at risk," she said. Ms Schuringa said the virus could spread to other wildlife on the island, such as the island's seal colony and other marine animals. "It's really only a matter of time before it spreads to other species. Acting now is critical," she said. Environment Victoria says it wants the state government to strengthen its front line response by restoring funding to key departments who can deal with the crisis, like Parks Victoria, Zoos Victoria and biosecurity staff in the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). Vaccination uncertainty Victoria's chief veterinary officer Graeme Cook said penguin colonies across the world have been very vulnerable to bird flu. "What we know is that in other parts of the world [mass deaths] have happened," Dr Cook said. He said trials have shown penguins can be vaccinated without adverse side effects, but could not confirm whether it would be administered before the H5N1 reaches Phillip Island. "Decisions on whether to vaccinate what we term rare captive and threatened birds has been considered," Dr Cook said. "But the decision whether to vaccinate is complex. "There's a decision around risk, there's also the fact that the current vaccine requires that handling to happen twice. "There's also the fact that in wild bird populations you just can't capture them in the same way that you could, maybe capture captive birds within zoological establishments in order to vaccinate them." Dr Cook said the federal government ultimately dictated vaccine policy for native species. Island to stay open Phillip Island Nature Parks, which overseas the penguin colony, said it was closely monitoring the situation and preparing for the potential arrival of the virus. "While the disease has not been detected on Phillip Island yet, we have continued our increased monitoring of penguin and seal colonies, and migratory shorebird areas, and have an active Avian Influenza Response Plan in place," a spokesperson said in a statement. The organisation said its response plan includes increased biosecurity measures for in-field team members such as cleaning and disinfecting footwear and vehicles when moving between sites. "The Nature Parks has been planning for the arrival of this bird flu strain since 2023, and we continue to work closely with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) on an effective response," the spokesperson said. The organisation said it has invested significant resources into building the health and resilience of habitat for wildlife on the island in recent years. Phillip Island Nature Parks attractions, reserves and beaches remain open. Another blow for Phillip Island Bass Coast Shire's mayor Brett Tessari said he hopes wildlife agencies were properly prepared. "We're relying on the emergency response that's been years in the workings," Cr Tessari said. "As far as the economic impact goes it will affect us, we're a tourist mecca for penguins." The arrival of bird flu in Australia is another piece of bad news for the Phillip Island community, which is grappling with the loss of the Australian MotoGP and the World Super Bikes event earlier this year. "It's just another hit for Phillip Island in particular, we've [lost] the Grand Prix, the World Super Bikes, if our penguins get impacted as well the island's copping it a bit so we're hoping the proper agencies step in and do what they need to do," Cr Tessari said.