Bonn, 4 December 2018 - The African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is the only penguin found on the African continent, and is therefore also the only one listed on AEWA. Historical estimates in 1900 for the species’ population ranged from 0.5 – 1 million breeding pairs, but by the year 2000 only 50,000 pairs remained. The latest census of the South African population in 2018 has revealed a further decline to fewer than 16,000 pairs. Approximately 5,000 pairs persist in Namibia.

 

The primary threat to the African Penguin is a lack of food. Small pelagic fish stocks collapsed off the Namibian coast in the 1980s, concomitant with a crash in seabird populations. South Africa’s west coast, previously the home to the majority of the population, has also experienced drops in pelagic fish numbers, driven dually by fishing pressure and climate effects that have caused movements of core stocks to the south-east. The lack of available food close to the colonies has put stress on breeding, as adults have to work harder to find fish to provide for their offspring. Other threats to the species include oil spills (infrequent but potentially disastrous), loss of breeding habitat, disturbance, predation, and disease. Egg collecting and guano harvesting were largely responsible for historical declines up till the 1970s, but both practices were outlawed and no longer persist. 

 

 

The African Penguin is listed under the AEWA Multi-Species Action Plan for the Conservation of Benguela Current Upwelling System Seabirds (TS No. 60, proceedings of MOP6), for which BirdLife South Africa is the implementing partner. The AEWA Benguela Coastal Seabirds International Working Group was convened by the AEWA Secretariat in 2016 and is coordinated by BirdLife South Africa.

 

BirdLife South Africa has begun establishing a new penguin colony at De Hoop Nature Reserve where a few pairs attempted to breed in 2006. This colony failed due to predation pressures, which have been guarded against by the construction of a predator-proof fence. The use of decoys and acoustic lures will be used to attract new inhabitants. Tracking work by BirdLife of penguins during their pre- and post-moult periods has shown that the waters off De Hoop are already a key foraging area for penguins from elsewhere, which proves that the new colony is well placed. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry  and Fisheries (DAFF) has led on an ‘island closure’ experiment, whereby islands were paired up and one was closed to fishing for 20km around. Breeding and foraging metrics for penguins were then compared between ‘closed’ and ‘open’ islands, which confirmed that fishing exclusion has positive effects on chick condition and survival (Pichegru et al. 2010, Sherley et al. 2015, 2018). There is currently a feasibility study being undertaken on incorporating an Ecosystem Approach to Fishing (EAF) in the small pelagics fisheries (sardine and anchovy).  On the ground conservation actions include the provision of artificial nests to compensate for the loss of suitable nesting habitat, the ex-situ rearing and then reintroduction of abandoned chicks, rehabilitation of injured and sick birds, and the ongoing monitoring of populations at each colony. Every breeding colony is currently overseen by provincial or national conservation authorities.