Penguins In extinction peril
PENGUINS waddling about on the beach in sunny South Africa have delighted locals and tourists for decades.
But sadly, time is almost up for these iconic birds as they are being driven to the brink of extinction by climate change and overfishing.
The crisis is so severe that African penguins could disappear in the wild as soon as 2035 if drastic measures are not taken to ensure their survival.
Numbers have plummeted from an estimated 1.5 million breeding pairs in the 1900s to fewer than 10,000 today.
The situation is so dire they are now more endangered than white rhinos. We were joined on Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town, near Cape Town, by Springwatch presenter Michaela Strachan, 58, who issued a stark warning.
She said: “I have lived in Cape Town for the past 22 years and these birds are iconic to this part of the world. I can’t imagine them not being here. To lose such a charismatic species would be absolutely devastating for the planet. This is not going to happen on my watch.”
Albert Snyman, a researcher at the South African National Federation for the Conservation of Sea Birds (SANCCOB), said: “It really is no exaggeration to say they are in real trouble. The science is clear.
These bird numbers are crashing. Each year, overall the population is declining by 8 to 10% and they just cannot reproduce quick enough. “The harsh reality is that unless change happens, there is very little hope for them.”
So, what’s the problem? Put simply, African penguins are starving to death. Over the past decade, sourcing sufficient food has become an immense struggle for the species, which is found only in South Africa and Namibia. Warming ocean temperatures are driving fish stocks elsewhere, while commercial fisheries that target anchovies and sardines – the staple food of African penguins – are driving the crisis.
Each year, hundreds of emaciated chicks are cared for by conservationists at SANCCOB, who say their survival depends on
They are in real trouble... these bird numbers are crashing
each individual they can rescue. And as if those threats were not enough to contend with, the African penguin, also known as the black-footed penguin, is being impacted by extreme weather events.
Heatwaves have led to chicks being abandoned or dying from heat stress, while flash floods have washed their beach burrows away.
Charismatic
A recent outbreak of bird flu has also impacted some, while oil spills, nautical noise pollution and entanglement in fishing nets present threats. Some are even run over by cars or caught up in plastic bags.
As I sat on the rocks at nearby Foxy Beach with Michaela, we watched several penguins swimming in the Indian Ocean while parents tended to their chicks. Tourists were starting to gather on the wooden viewing platform to take pictures of the birds, one of the few mainland colonies. “Just look how charismatic these animals are,” says Michaela, who lives in Cape Town with partner Nick Chevallier, a wildlife cameraman.
It is no surprise to hear the species is her favourite as she is wearing a silver penguin necklace, alongside dangling earrings in the shape of the African continent.
The aquatic birds are a keystone species that play a vital role in the health of our oceans – essential for fighting the impact of climate change by transferring large amounts of nutrients from their colonies.
When their guano (droppings) is washed into the sea it promotes algae growth and boosts the health of the marine ecosystem, which supports numerous other shore birds and marine invertebrates.
Penguins also use this buildup of guano to create nests by scraping out layers along with soil. These burrows in the low dunes on the shoreline protect them from the elements and predators.
SANCCOB scientist Dr Lauren Waller, who has studied penguins for 20 years, said the problems started for the species last century. She explained how, historically, seabird excrement was used as agriculture fertiliser – meaning burrows were targeted.
“Guano scraping at colonies no longer happens but it’s had a huge impact on the numbers of birds present now by disturbing breeding penguins and also destroying this breeding habitat.
“Oil spills have had an impact but the biggest threat at the moment that’s driving these continuous population declines is lack of food.”
WWF South Africa warns that dwindling numbers of these sentinels of the ocean – marine species that act as a health barometer – mean there is something seriously wrong in the seas. The African penguin is the continent’s only species and it is one of the world’s most threatened birds, second only to the albatross.
Conservationists have submitted paperwork to the International Union for Conservation of Nature to get the species placed on a critically endangered list, alongside mountain gorillas and Tapanuli orangutans. Five
South African colonies have become extinct since 2005.
Commercial fishing continues in the waters surrounding the six largest African penguin breeding colonies.
Critically, these six are home to an estimated 90% of South Africa’s African penguins. Around 2,000 penguins call Boulders Beach, a popular tourist destination, their home. Numbers are steady here as the waters are protected.
But scientists say implementing more “biologically meaningful” closures around their breeding areas is essential for their future survival.
Michaela said: “The main threats penguins are facing are also having an impact on species in the UK, like puffins.
“We must solve these issues to protect seabirds all over the world.”
We must solve issues to protect seabirds all over world