❓ Hon. Sophie McNeill inquires about the loss of Fairy Tern nests and chicks at Southern Ports, with DBCA attributing the loss to a cat and detailing previous breeding season success and historical variability.
AnsweredQoN 1177Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions 2024-2025 Annual Report referred to 'Cooperation between Southern Ports and the department resulted in approximately 350 pairs of fairy terns (Sternula nereis nereis) attempting breeding, but routine monitoring found that the majority of nests had been lost and young chicks succumbed to predation or exposure': (a) can the department provide more information about what led to the loss of the majority of Fairy Tern nests and young chicks; (b) what happened to nests and young chicks in the previous breeding season; and (c) what has changed?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
24 February 2026
Responded by
Minister for the Environment
Response time
5 days
(a) Field monitoring conducted by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) detected the presence of a cat on 3 November 2024. DBCA immediately notified Southern Ports Authority, which engaged a feral animal control contractor to trap and remove the cat, however, these efforts were unsuccessful. As a result, a significant number of eggs and chicks were lost.
(b) Over 250 pairs nested at the site in the 2023-2024 season, with a chick success of approximately 250+ fledglings.
(c) Fairy terns are a colonial nesting species and the birds that frequent Bunbury and the Leschenault area are part of the larger ‘lower west coast’ breeding population, which includes Perth metropolitan, Peel and Rottnest nesting sites. Over the 10+ year history of fairy terns breeding at the Southern Port’s beach, breeding success has been highly variable, ranging from no colony formation to the high numbers of chick success during the 2023-2024 season.
(b) Over 250 pairs nested at the site in the 2023-2024 season, with a chick success of approximately 250+ fledglings.
(c) Fairy terns are a colonial nesting species and the birds that frequent Bunbury and the Leschenault area are part of the larger ‘lower west coast’ breeding population, which includes Perth metropolitan, Peel and Rottnest nesting sites. Over the 10+ year history of fairy terns breeding at the Southern Port’s beach, breeding success has been highly variable, ranging from no colony formation to the high numbers of chick success during the 2023-2024 season.
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