60,000 African penguins starve to death after sardine numbers collapse – study
More than 60,000 penguins in colonies off the coast of South Africa have starved to death due to the disappearance of sardines, a recent study has revealed. This alarming trend is particularly evident in two of the most crucial breeding colonies, located on Dassen Island and Robben Island, where over 95% of African penguins perished between 2004 and 2012. The study suggests that the breeding penguins likely starved during their annual moulting period, a process that takes about 21 days and requires them to stay on land. To survive this fasting period, they need to fatten up beforehand, and the paper attributes the decline to the climate crisis and overfishing.
The paper, published in Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology, highlights that these losses are not isolated incidents. Dr. Richard Sherley from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter notes that the African penguin species has experienced a staggering population decline of nearly 80% in just 30 years. African penguins undergo an annual shedding and replacement of their worn-out feathers to maintain insulation and waterproofing. However, the moulting period, which demands land-based survival, poses a significant challenge when food becomes scarce.
The study reveals that the biomass of the sardine species Sardinops sagax has plummeted to 25% of its maximum abundance off the coast of western South Africa for most years since 2004. These fish are a primary food source for African penguins. Changes in temperature and salinity off the west coast of Africa have reduced the fish's spawning success, while fishing levels in the region remain high. In 2024, African penguins were classified as critically endangered, with fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs remaining.
To address this crisis, conservationists are implementing sustainable fisheries management practices. They are building artificial nests to protect chicks, managing predators, and hand-rearing adults and chicks in need of rescue. Commercial purse-seine fishing, a method that encircles and traps fish, has been banned around the six largest penguin-breeding colonies in South Africa. The goal is to increase the penguins' access to prey during critical life stages.
However, the situation remains dire. Dr. Azwianewi Makhado, a co-author of the study, acknowledges the urgency of the situation. Professor Lorien Pichegru, a marine biology expert, warns of decades-long mismanagement of small fish populations in South Africa, emphasizing the need for immediate action to address extremely low fish stocks, not just for African penguins but also for other endemic species that depend on these resources.
