HAVE YOU HEARD?

The bad news African penguins and West Coast rock lobster populations in South African waters are decreasing at an alarming rate, according to WWF South Africa’s 2018 report on the local ocean economy. The penguin population is threatened due to food shortages and the effect of climate change (the water is getting warmer and less salty and fish species along our coast are moving south); rock lobsters are declining due to illegal and unregulated fishing practices, and poor management of the fishing industry.

The good news The numbers of both hake species found in our waters – deep-water hake and shallow-water hake – have strengthened and fishing is sustainable. The WWF SASSI programme to monitor and conserve these species seems to be paying dividends.