Surveys at Low Head, Bruny Island and a number of other colonies on the south-east, east and north-west coasts in the past week have confirmed the animals are now ashore to breed, according to BirdLife Tasmania.

The group's convener, Dr Eric Woehler, noted in a statement it was an "unusually early" start for the penguins and as many as 10 per cent of burrows in any colony might already be occupied.

"We have had a few reports of winter breeding in recent years, but this is the earliest I'm aware of in Tasmania in many years," he said.

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In the wake of a series of recent dog attacks on the penguins across the state, Dr Woehler said it was important for dog owners in coastal areas to ensure their pets are unable to roam at night and threaten the birds given they will be ashore for a longer period.

Tasmania is believed to be home to half of the world's population of little penguins, found from Perth to Sydney across the Great Australian Bight.

Low Head Penguin Tours estimate that area's colony alone to number between 3000 and 5000. However no recent definitive survey has been conducted.

At a February Senate Inquiry hearing in Hobart, Dr Woehler said the population data relied upon was 30 or 40 years old. The hearing also heard there was a growing concern the species could become listed as threatened - when parents are killed, the young chicks die.

"At present, we don't understand what initiates the breeding season for penguins in Tasmania," said Dr Woehler, who is also an adjunct researcher at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. "Clearly food is critical, but currently we don't know the underlying mechanisms involved".

The breeding season for mainland little penguin colonies - often longer and more unpredictable - has previously differed from that of Tasmanian-based birds. This has changed within the past decade.

Warming ocean temperatures mean the annual cycle - consisting of a more predictable winter at sea before breeding in summer - is less constrained. In February, Dr Woehler noted the warmer ocean temperatures could mean less food availability.

Sea surfaces along the south-east coast of mainland Australia, and through the Bass Strait, have warmed the most. Monitoring by the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO from 1950 to 2017 found an increase of between 0.16 and 0.20 degrees per decade within the region.

At Low Head, recent dog attacks have taken a significant toll. It is estimated more than 100 penguin deaths have been recorded in the area alone in the past two years.

The Friends of the Low Head Penguin Colony formed after a public forum in March to find a solution to the issue, hosted by Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, Dr Woehler and IMAS Associate Professor Mary-Anne Lee.

In a statement last week the group, which now has more than 60 names on its mailing list from as far away as China, said the public response to the cause had been pleasing.

"In brief, the aims of the group are the protection, welfare, and scientific research of these little penguins and education of the community, especially in relation to the responsibilities of pet ownership," it read.

RELATED COVERAGE

A statewide penguin taskforce, bringing together government, council, and experts, was also created.

BirdLife Tasmania is also working to map the remaining fairy penguin nests in the Low Head colony to determine the impact of recent dog attacks.

"The Tasmanian Government is presently reviewing the Dog Control Act, and BirdLife Tasmania supports significantly higher financial penalties for dog owners whose pets kill wildlife, especially penguins", Dr Woehler said.

The government has been approached for comment.

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