The African penguin, also referred to as the jackass or black-footed penguin, is at risk of extinction. As the continent’s only species of the flightless bird, these animals have become an immensely popular tourist attraction near Cape Town, but that soon may change. Since 2004, the population has plummeted by 90 percent along South African’s west coast due to the mass migration of anchovies and sardines – primary food source for this species.
WHY IS THE AFRICAN PENGUIN POPULATION IN DECLINE?
Much to the confusion of scientists, it is still uncertain why the fish have moved in the first place; climate change and overfishing have been suggested as the two likeliest causes, but mathematical modelers of the fish populations have insisted that this is not the case. In fact, they ascertain that the impact of fishing is minimal, blaming predators, boat disturbances, nest flooding, and heat stress as the culprits instead.
Recently, Janet Coetzee, a fisheries scientist with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, led a team of researchers on a boating mission that incorporated the use of a “hefty oblong device” to determine the amount of fish that are around. The survey, according to Fox News, found that there were “plenty of anchovies for penguins during certain months,” even with consideration to fish migration.
In any case, in light of the decline, four main fishing grounds, spanning a 20-kilometer (12.4 miles), have been declared off-limits seven years ago in an attempt to save the species. According to penguin biologists, this strategy should leave more fish for consumption and boost the survival rate of chicks by a lofty 18 percent. However, Coetzee has noted that African penguins should have plenty of fish, even despite the fishing quota.
In the meantime, the fishing bans are still in effective, although experts have already emphasized the need for effective management. Currently 100,000 birds remain, a drastic decline from the one million African Penguins that were present back in the 1930s. In light of the decrease, the International Union for Conservation of Nature declared the African penguin as an endangered species. A panel of experts will also reconvene in December to review the problem, after having met for the first time last year.
