International panel to review the management of African penguins
Managing the interaction between small pelagics and African penguins
SOUTH AFRICA: Following the closure of some fisheries close to penguin colonies last year, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has appointed an international panel of experts with representation from USA, Argentina, Australia and the UK to advise on the management of interactions between the small pelagic (anchovy and sardines) fishery and the conservation of African penguins.
Yesterday Minister Barbara Creecy announced a panel that consists of:
- Professor André Punt (USA) – Chair
- Dr Ana Parma (Argentina)
- Dr Eva Plagányi (Australia)
- Professor Philip Trathan (UK)
- Professor Robert Furness (UK).
The Expert Review Panel, which does not include any national input, will review all related science outputs over recent years, including the outcomes of the Island Closure Experiment undertaken by the Department over the last decade.
The Terms of Reference for the science review and the panel members were established in consultation with the representatives from the fishing and bird conservation sectors.
The panel will advise the Department on the appropriateness and value of fishing limitations for penguin trends. This is a key issue as the sardine stock in South African waters remains at low levels. Competition for food is thought to be among one of the pressures contributing to the decline of African Penguin populations.
Other pressures include shipping traffic and the associated noise and vibrations, pollution and degradation of suitable nesting habitats through historical removal of guano and coastal commercial, and residential developments
The Expert Review Panel, which has already started its work, focuses on the following:
- Review the interpretation of the Island Closure Experiment (ICE).
- Explore the value of island closures in providing meaningful benefits to penguins.
- Review the processes and outcomes completed through the Governance Forum and the Consultative Advisory Forum for Marine Living Resources (CAFMLR) process.
- Make recommendations on the implementation of island closures, including spatial delineation, time frames.
- Advise on further science and monitoring methods.
In September 2022, the Department announced the interim closure of some areas around major penguin colonies along the South African coastline to commercial fishing for anchovy and sardine between September 2022 and 14 January 2023 as a precautionary measure aimed at ensuring the survival of the species while balancing ecological an socio-economic interests. The limitation on fishing has been extended to mid-April 2023, and further decisions on the matter will be made depending on the work schedule of the panel.
African penguins are endemic to South Africa and Namibia, but have decreased from more than a million breeding pairs to about 10,000 pairs in the last century.
55