A study published in the journal Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology notes that between 2004 and 2012, over 95% of African penguins died in two key colonies on Dassen and Robben Islands. Scientists suggest that breeding penguins may have died from lack of food during molting; the main factors contributing to their decline are climate change and overfishing.
Dr. Richard Sherley from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter noted that such losses are not exceptional: “These trends are observed elsewhere as well.” Over the past three decades, the population of African penguins has decreased by nearly 80%.
Every year, African penguins shed and replace worn feathers to protect their skin from moisture. However, during the molting period, which lasts about 21 days, they cannot go hunting and must fatten up in advance. “If they fail to find food before or immediately after molting, their energy reserves will not allow them to survive this period,” added Sherley. “We do not observe significant accumulations of carcasses, so we assume they are likely dying at sea,” he clarified.
Since 2004, the biomass of sardines Sardinops sagax off the west coast of South Africa has decreased to 25% of the maximum level recorded just three years ago. This fish is a primary food source for African penguins. Changes in water temperature and salinity have negatively affected sardine spawning, despite the fact that fishing levels in the region remain high.
In 2024, African penguins were classified as endangered, with fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs remaining.
Ecologists are taking measures to improve the situation, including building artificial nests for chicks, controlling predators, and assisting adult birds and chicks in need of support. Commercial purse seine fishing has been banned in the six largest penguin colonies in South Africa.
Dr. Azvianovich Mahado from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa stated that there is hope for improving penguins' access to food during critical moments in their lives.
Lorien Pichegru, a professor of marine biology at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, who was not involved in the study, noted that the results are of “extreme concern” and indicate long-term issues with managing small fish populations in the region. “The data from the study only pertains to the survival of penguins up to 2011, and the situation has not improved since then,” she added.
The professor emphasized that addressing the issue of low small fish populations requires immediate action to protect not only African penguins but also other species that depend on these populations.
