New scientific research paints a grim picture of our beloved African penguins. If current trends persist, more than 500 breeding pairs of these iconic birds could vanish from the wild annually for the next ten years.
Since official counting began in 1979, the number of breeding pairs has plummeted to less than 11 000. By 2035, the remaining breeding pairs may dwindle to a level that spells doom for the species’ survival in its natural habitat.
Recent efforts by the South African government to maintain fishing closures around select African penguin colonies, as of 4 August, have been deemed insufficient to halt this downward spiral.
The urgency of the situation has sparked the #NotOnOurWatch campaign (#NOOW) into action. Spearheaded by the Cape Town-based Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, in collaboration with esteemed partners such as the Florida Aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium and Australia’s Zoo Victoria, this campaign is a rallying cry against extinction.
Also read: Here’s how you can help the African penguins stay in existence
Dr Judy Mann, executive of strategic projects at the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation and president of the International Zoo Educators Association declared, ‘Not on our watch will the African penguin go extinct in the wild. If fisheries, the South African government, oil and shipping companies, management agencies, scientists, conservationists, international allies and the public work together, we can stop African penguin numbers from declining every year.’
The African penguin, a species only found in the wild of South Africa and Namibia, occupies a special place in urban coastal landscapes. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified it as endangered on its Red List of Threatened Species.
The repercussions are far-reaching; for instance, the Boulders Beach colony near Cape Town stands to lose a projected future expenditure of R6.87 billion, as estimated in a report by Dr Hugo van Zyl and James Kinghorn. Moreover, roughly a thousand jobs in Cape Town hang in the balance, exclusive of the revenue and employment opportunities tied to colonies elsewhere in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces.
The #NOOW campaign is strategically designed to cast a global spotlight on the dire predicament of the African penguin. Its overarching goals encompass urging the South African government to enact stricter safeguards and regulations, ensuring the species’ ongoing existence in its natural habitat and rallying support from the conservation community.
Dr Mann outlined some of the major challenges plaguing these remarkable birds, notably the scarcity of food. The dwindling availability of fish, particularly sardines, has placed African penguins in a perilous struggle for sustenance.
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Alongside food scarcity, factors such as colony management, suitable breeding habitats, disease, predation by seals and gulls and the destructive impact of storms and flooding further compound the plight of the African penguin. Other threats loom, including oil pollution near penguin colonies and an uptick in noise pollution, which detrimentally affect penguins and other marine life.
Despite the grim circumstances, proponents of the #NOOW campaign remain steadfast, rejecting defeatism.
Dr Debborah Luke, senior vice president of conservation at The Florida Aquarium, emphasised the institution’s dedication to safeguarding imperilled wildlife worldwide. She underlined the critical importance of the African Penguin Conservation Programme, acknowledging that species extinction in the wild is a looming reality unless transformative actions are undertaken.
Dr Luke stated, ‘The African penguins in our care are one of the aquarium’s most popular species ambassadors. By backing the #NotOnOurWatch campaign and reaching out to a global audience for their help, we aim to be on the winning side of history and prevent the disappearance of this unique species.’
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Rather than passively observing the march towards extinction, the #NOOW campaign is orchestrating a worldwide waddle on 14 October, coinciding with International African Penguin Awareness Day. The campaign anticipates a convergence of nature enthusiasts, individuals, sports clubs, businesses, conservation groups, communities, media outlets and populations across the globe, both inland and coastal, to participate in waddles and express solidarity on social media using the #NOOW tag.
The campaign also urges penguin enthusiasts to voice their support by emailing words of encouragement to South Africa’s minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment, Barbara Creecy. The campaign’s official website offers a convenient platform to send emails and gather additional insights about the campaign’s activities.
While the challenges ahead are formidable, the #NOOW campaign remains a clarion call to action. Bolstered by the combined efforts of global advocates, positive change is not just a possibility—it’s an imperative. The campaign also maintains a presence on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
The battle to safeguard the African penguin’s future is now in full swing, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Also read:
ESPA says fishing ban to protect penguins will damage local industry
Picture: Two Oceans Aquarium / Facebook
