60,000 African Penguins Starve Due to Climate Crisis and Overfishing

More than 60,000 African penguins have starved to death due to a collapse in sardine populations, according to a study published in the journal Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology. The research highlighted that over 95% of penguins in critical breeding colonies on Dassen Island and Robben Island died between 2004 and 2012, primarily during their moulting period when they are unable to forage for food.

Dr. Richard Sherley from the University of Exeter noted that the African penguin population has declined by nearly 80% in the past 30 years. The study found that the biomass of sardines, a crucial food source for these penguins, has fallen to 25% of its maximum abundance since 2004, driven by climate change and overfishing.

The temperature and salinity changes in the waters off western South Africa have negatively affected sardine spawning, while fishing levels have remained high. In 2024, African penguins were classified as critically endangered, with fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs remaining.

Conservation efforts, including the banning of commercial purse-seine fishing around the six largest penguin breeding colonies, aim to improve food access for penguins during critical life stages. Dr. Azwianewi Makhado, co-author of the study, hopes these measures will enhance penguin survival chances, but experts like Lorien Pichegru emphasize the necessity for urgent action to address small fish population management, not just for penguins but for other species reliant on these stocks.