Cape Town - With the African Penguin population in almost terminal decline, Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has called for the public to comment on a draft review of the 2013 African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan (APBMP) to address emerging threats to the species.
She said the aim of the 2013 APBMP was “to halt the decline of the African penguin population in South Africa within two years of the implementation of the management plan and thereafter achieve a population growth which will result in a down-listing of the species in terms of its status as a threatened species”.
However, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) said that despite the successful implementation of many actions in the plan, the aim was not attained and African penguin populations continued to decline.
Thus, this draft review was published to improve from the already established 2013 structures and establish new working group structures to oversee the implementation of new actions.
South African National Parks (SANParks) marine biologist Alison Kock said the African penguin population was decreasing by 5-10% a year and that the population on the West Coast was likely to be functionally extinct within 8 years – therefore urgent interventions were required.
Dyer Island Conservation Trust conservation manager Trudi Malan said: “The government will have to step up and implement the fisheries’ closure around colonies,” Malan said.
The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob) head of conservation Nicky Stander said there was a long history leading to the demise of the African penguin population, but the current priority intervention was food security.
“What we need to understand is that we are not trying to save the African penguin from extinction because they are cute or iconic, they are an Apex predator – they make a massive contribution to the marine ecosystem and their demise will have an impact on an already overburdened system.
“They bring large amounts of nutrients from the ocean to their colonies,” Malan said.
Members of the public are invited to submit their comments, within 30 calendar days from July 22, 2022 to Millicent Makoala on [email protected].