A study found that African penguins, which are on the brink of extinction, are experiencing a rapid population decline due to mass starvation caused by shrinking food supplies. As sardines, the penguins' staple food, have plummeted because of excessive human fishing and climate change, their very survival is under threat, the analysis said.
Foreign media, including Agence France-Presse and The Washington Post, reported on the 5th (local time) that researchers from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom and South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) confirmed that about 95% of the total African penguin population starved to death over eight years around Robben Island and Dassen Island, major habitats near Cape Town, South Africa.
African penguins are well known for their contrasting black-and-white "tuxedo" pattern, and are estimated to number fewer than 10,000 pairs worldwide. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) last year listed the species as critically endangered (CR), the highest risk category on its Red List.
According to the survey, the number of carcasses confirmed on the two islands between 2004 and 2011 reached about 62,000. During this period, the sardine population off South Africa's coast fell to below one-quarter of its historical peak.
The researchers explained that "climate factors such as overfishing by humans, rising sea temperatures, and changes in seawater salinity acted in combination, sharply reducing sardine stocks." Richard Sherley, a University of Exeter professor, said, "As food shortages worsened, mass die-offs centered on breeding individuals continued," adding, "This amounted to a deadly food crisis for African penguins."
In response, South African authorities decided to impose a total ban on commercial fishing for the next 10 years around six key habitats, including Robben Island and Dassen Island. They also moved to conserve penguins by installing artificial nests and creating new habitats alongside other protection measures.
Professor Sherley stressed, "Fishing restrictions will certainly help mitigate the population decline," but added, "Because climate change continues to affect sardines, their prey, a broader response strategy is needed."