Environmental Affairs on decline of African penguins in South Africa
15 Jul 2015
The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has noted the recent media reports regarding the decline in population numbers of the African Penguin, due to lack of food (see here).
In 2010, the DEA, CapeNature (CN), together with South African National Parks (SANParks) and other interested parties, initiated the development of a “Biodiversity Management Plan for the African Penguin Spheniscus demersus” (BMP-AP) in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act of 2004.
This plan was finalised and published in the Government Gazette in 2013. The plan aims to address the decline of the African Penguin population in South Africa and to halt the decrease. DEA is responsible for the plan and appointed a steering committee to oversee its implementation in 2014.
Furthermore, the implementation of the African Penguin BMP is supported by three Working Groups comprising of management authorities, academia, research institutions, NGO’s such as BirdLife, and rehabilitation centres, captive institutions and the National Zoological Gardens to mention a few. Monitoring of African penguins is undertaken by management authorities including DEA, CN and SANParks.