00:02They're Victoria's little penguins playing a big role in keeping tourism afloat.
00:08The Phillip Island penguin parade is something like 40% of our business I'd estimate turnover,
00:14but it is Victoria's number one tourist destination.
00:17John Stapleton runs one of the state's biggest private tour companies,
00:21and with yesterday's announcement H5 bird flu has already claimed one Phillip Island penguin,
00:26he doesn't want to imagine what would happen if the disease swept through the population.
00:32It would be devastating for all tour operators, all people who wanted to see them,
00:36and of course for a lot of people who go and spend their holidays on Phillip Island.
00:40Last year, more than a million domestic and international tourists had visited Phillip Island nature parks.
00:46By November, 710,000 of those were for the penguin parade alone.
00:51And each night, dozens flocked to St Kilda Pier to catch a glimpse of the little penguins there too.
00:58It was really good, and it was really, really good.
01:03My kids, both of them, they really love penguins, and they're a little bit obsessed.
01:08They've been actually terrific drawcard for Victoria,
01:10and it would be so sad if something, you know, like this terrible bird flu,
01:14was to, you know, have what they've been saying decimated.
01:17Tomorrow, the government begins its world first wildlife vaccination program,
01:22where it'll attempt to vaccinate 5,000 little penguins, both here at St Kilda and on Phillip Island.
01:28But it's feared that could be a fruitless mission.
01:31With a report released by the Environment Department last year,
01:35finding vaccinations would only provide adequate coverage if administered
01:39before bird flu had reached the penguin population.
01:42I think governments, unfortunately, have been hoping that it would just be another year away,
01:47another year away, rather than acting with real speed to get vaccinations out on the ground.
01:53That's going to have direct impacts on the survival rates of these penguins.
01:58The Premier is meeting with the Chief Veterinary Officer tomorrow.
02:01This is very concerning what's occurred with the penguins.
02:05So we are fast-tracking our vaccination process.
02:08A move that could be too little, too late.
02:12Thank you very much.
02:12Full- sow Prayer
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