In March this year, a litigation was launched to challenge the decision of island closures to purse-seine fishing around key African penguin colonies. At the end of August, the new Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, called on his department’s lawyers to settle this lawsuit in the interest of fast-tracking the implementation and ultimately putting this endangered species first.
Dr Lorien Pichegru, a leading seabird expert from Nelson Mandela University, has praised the Minister George for advocating a court settlement. “There has been no indication of how long this move will take and we need to see how it will turn out, but I am very hopeful,” said Pichegru. “The penguin is in a bad way and in fact we needed a biologically meaningful fishing closure 10 years ago.”
Dr Pichegru emphasised the urgency of the situation, noting that the African penguin population has declined by around 80% over the past three decades. With fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs remaining, predictions suggest they could face extinction in the wild by 2035 if significant measures aren’t taken immediately.
The penguin’s survival depends on implementing “biologically meaningful” fishing closures around their breeding colonies. This approach was initially proposed by a scientific panel established by former minister Barbara Creecy, following recommendations from seabird scientists, including Dr Pichegru. The panel identified crucial foraging areas that need protection to ensure the penguins have access to sufficient food, specifically sardines and anchovies.
SST remains hopeful that Minister George will navigate this challenge effectively and prioritise actions that will protect our African penguins and their key role in our marine ecosystem.
