South Africa’s minister tackles fishing restrictions to save endangered penguins

South Africa’s new Environment Minister, Dion George, has vowed to tackle the contentious issue of fishing restrictions around key breeding sites in the face of mounting pressure to prevent the extinction of African penguins.  

South Africa's newly appointed Environment Minister is spearheading efforts to prevent the extinction of African penguins by addressing critical conservation issues, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

One of his key initiatives involves settling a legal dispute brought by two prominent environmental organizations, BirdLife South Africa and the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCOB). 

These groups are advocating for expanded no-fishing zones around six key breeding sites for the penguins, a measure they argue is essential for the species' survival.   The African penguin, once numbering up to 1 million breeding pairs a century ago, now faces a dire future, with fewer than 10,000 individuals remaining. The population is declining at an alarming rate of 7.9 percent annually, with projections suggesting that the species could face extinction by 2035 if current trends continue.  

Dion George, who took on the role of Environment Minister in early July as part of a new coalition government, emphasized his commitment to halting the penguins' decline. "My objective is to ensure that the penguins do not go extinct, and I believe this goal is shared by everyone," George stated. "I cannot see any benefit in prolonged legal battles over this issue. We need to act swiftly to protect these birds and their habitats." Conservationists and the fishing industry have been locked in a protracted struggle over how best to protect the African penguin, with disagreements centering on the impact of commercial fishing and the efficacy of expanding no-fishing zones. The conflict involves debates about how much the depletion of sardines and anchovies—key food sources for the penguins—is contributing to their decline, and whether enlarging protected areas would effectively reverse this trend.  

Governments have struggled to broker a compromise between the needs of the fishing industry, which impacts numerous livelihoods, and the urgent conservation measures required to save the penguins. Without an agreement, there has been reluctance to implement the more stringent protections that environmentalists advocate.  

Alistair McInnes, who directs seabird conservation efforts for BirdLife South Africa, stresses the urgency of the situation. “When penguin populations are at such vulnerable levels and begin to dwindle, they become more susceptible to other threats,” McInnes explained. “Disease outbreaks or oil spills could disproportionately affect these already fragile colonies. Implementing protections now offers the best chance to stabilize their numbers and provide a buffer against unforeseen events.”   In an attempt to resolve the dispute, the government initiated an “island closure experiment” in 2008, temporarily banning sardine and anchovy fishing around four islands in alternating three-year periods. Despite over 50 hours of discussions between rival scientific groups, consensus remained elusive. In late 2022, former Environment Minister Barbara Creecy appointed a panel of international experts to provide a fresh perspective and help break the deadlock.

In July 2023, a report from a panel of international experts found that banning fishing around African penguin breeding colonies would have some positive impact on conservation, but deemed the benefits relatively modest. The report concluded that fishing limits alone would not halt the ongoing decline in penguin populations.   Former Environment Minister Barbara Creecy had pledged to impose stricter fishing bans around these colonies, contingent on a consensus between conservationists and the fishing industry. However, the partial bans enacted since then have been criticized by environmental groups as "biologically meaningless," prompting them to file a court case. The lawsuit names Creecy, two of her colleagues, and two fishing industry groups, arguing that the minister is legally obligated to enforce broader restrictions.  

The South African Pelagic Fishing Industry Association (SAPFIA), one of the respondents, contested the claim that their industry is a major driver of the penguins' decline. They argue that the impact of fishing on penguin numbers is relatively minor and express a commitment to resolving the issue amicably.   Alistair McInnes of BirdLife South Africa acknowledges that while the impact of fishing closures may seem small, it is still significant when considering other threats to penguins, such as shipping noise, predators, and climate change.

SAPFIA, however, has suggested that environmental NGOs have delayed efforts to identify the primary causes of the penguin population decline, a claim denied by the NGOs’ legal representatives.   Newly appointed Environment Minister Dion George has not yet formed an opinion on the scientific or policy aspects of the dispute but has scheduled a meeting with both the fishing industry and environmental groups. “There are entrenched positions and vested interests,” George said. “But at the end of the day, where does that leave the penguins?”