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Photo courtesy: (San Diego Zoo Animals and Plants) African penguins face critical endangerment with their population 97% below historical levels and without intervention, they could go extinct by 2035.
(The Post News)- A pressing application hearing has been scheduled in Gauteng for late October this year, aiming to prevent the extinction of the African penguin.
This follows the intervention of the Deputy Judge President of the Court, who was approached by the applicants due to the government’s slow response through the State Attorney.
In October, the African penguin’s conservation status is expected to be elevated from “endangered” to “critically endangered” at a World Conservation Union (IUCN) meeting, following a recommendation by BirdLife South Africa.
The population of these penguins is plummeting and is currently around 97% below historical levels. Without proper intervention, the African penguin could become extinct in the wild as soon as 2035.
BirdLife SA and the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob) had propelled legitimate activity against former minister of Forestry , Fisheries and Environment Undertakings, Barbara Creecy in March.
There were two more respondents, namely the deputy director-generals of the department, which were the DFFE, the South African Pelagic Fishing Industry Association, and the Eastern Cape Pelagic Association.
To address this issue, it is recommended to reduce the impact on the penguins’ ability to access their main food sources, such as sardines and anchovies.
This includes decreasing competition with the small-pelagic commercial purse seine fishing industry, which also targets fish stocks, especially around the six major African penguin breeding colonies on islands along the coast.
BirdLife SA and Sanccob are presently challenging the choice that was taken by Creecy in August 2023 to affirm the boycott on commercial angling for anchovy and sardine inside already assigned “Intervals Closure” zones around these six breeding colonies for at slightest the another 10 a long time.
In an affidavit, Dr. Alistair McInnes, Seabird Conservation Manager at BirdLife SA, described the former minister’s decision as “subjective” and “inherently arbitrary.” He noted that the decision contradicted the recommendations of an international Board of Experts, appointed by the minister two years earlier, to review all scientific research on the issue and provide suggestions on resolving the conflict between bird conservation groups and the fishing industry.
Following a case management meeting on June 6 and an order by the Deputy Judge on June 10, the full record was produced by DFFE on June 14. The applicants then filed a supplementary affidavit by McInnes last week.
DFFE respondents are to file their replies by July 26, and the fishing industry respondents by August 5.
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