{"id":55121,"date":"2022-05-04T06:01:26","date_gmt":"2022-05-04T04:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/world-penguin-day-celebrated-20220503-2\/"},"modified":"2025-03-19T19:57:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T17:57:57","slug":"world-penguin-day-celebrated-20220503-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/world-penguin-day-celebrated-20220503-2\/","title":{"rendered":"World Penguin Day celebrated"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In celebration of World Penguin Day, which was celebrated on 25 April, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob) is sharing more on the African penguin\u2019s unique qualities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

World Penguin Day was commemorated on 25 April \u2013 a day to celebrate these beloved birds and share insightful messages that will educate the public and raise awareness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Sanccob, the African penguin is the only endemic penguin species on the African continent and is visited by locals and tourists who flock to South Africa each year to see them in their natural habitat.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAlarming decline in numbers<\/link-app1>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe must continue to do all that we can to protect and ultimately save this iconic species from extinction, together,\u201d Sanccob says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sanccob says they have already started seeing fewer birds breeding than in previous years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNumbers at St Croix Island, formerly the world\u2019s largest breeding colony and usually the first one to have active breeding penguins, have declined once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organisation has expressed its\u2019 distress at the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe decreasing numbers are alarming. We are still hopeful that the colonies on the West Coast of South Africa will have a successful breeding season, but seeing the low fish availability, we know that we should, once again, prepare for the worst,\u201d the organisation says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe continue to advocate for fishing closures around main breeding colonies, together with our partners at BirdLife South Africa and WWF South Africa, so let\u2019s hope we have more to celebrate for World Penguin Day 2023,\u201d Sanccob says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In partnership with WWF South Africa and Sea Change Project, they had a discussion to address the threats which challenge the existence of the endangered African penguin, following the inspiring Penguin Town series by Red Rock Films International.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/link-app1>\n\n\n\n

What still needs to be done to prevent penguin mortality?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sanccob says that everything that can be done on land to reduce mortality and improve breeding success is being done by managing authorities and their conservation partners, and these actions need to continue within an adaptive management framework. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are still some aspects that require additional attention in order to reduce the African penguin population decline and promote the species\u2019 recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of these is improving food availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 13-year project led by the South African government aims to investigate the benefit to breeding African penguins and their chicks by closing areas around islands to fishing, Sanccob says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While results are not uniform across colonies, analyses indicate that there is a biologically meaningful benefit to these fishing closures, particularly with respect to chick survival and chick condition (parameters important to the demo\u00adgraphic process), as well as maximum foraging distances travelled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/link-app1>\n\n\n\n

What is the impact of African penguins going extinct?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/span> Ecosystem importance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

African penguins transfer large amounts of nutrients from the ocean to their colonies, influencing the functioning of the island\/colony ecosystem and adjacent marine areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their guano is washed into the sea, promoting algal growth, influencing the growth of intertidal communities which support shorebirds and other marine invertebrates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They improve access to food for other species, e.g. herding schools of fish upwards where other birds can feed on them (McInnes et al. 2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/span> Economic Importance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The African penguin plays a significant role in South Africa\u2019s ecotourism offering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Western Cape, there are tourist attractions at the Simon\u2019s Town colony, which includes Boulders in Table Mountain National Park, and the Stony Point colony in Betty\u2019s Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Economic benefits associated with these land-based colo\u00adnies include income generated through entrance fees, job provision at the colonies as well as other benefits to surrounding areas (e.g. restaurants, accommodation, transport services).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe total expenditure associated with the Simon\u2019s Town colony is estimated at approximately R311 million per annum and gene\u00adrates 885 jobs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe projected future income from tourism at the Simon\u2019s Town colony over the next 30 years was estimated at approximately R6,8 billion (pre-Covid-19 figures),\u201d Sanccob says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural Importance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The African penguin is Africa\u2019s only penguin species, and one of 18 global penguin species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are sentinels of the ocean and the African penguin is thus a symbol of South Africa\u2019s marine ecosystem and its health.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat can you do to save penguins<\/link-app1>\n\n\n\n