KruShan Foundation Joins the #NOOW Campaign

What is #NOOW?

Many people and organizations are dedicated to the survival of the African Penguin. Their incredible commitment and hard work must be commended, and we are grateful for their dedication. However, saving a species needs action on the ground, the support of people and enabling legislation. There has not been a public action campaign for the African penguin.

This is where #NOOW comes in. Our goal is to create a movement and raise awareness about the need for urgent action to reverse the decline of the African penguin population in the wild. Through this campaign, we will call for support to ensure that the relevant authorities make wise decisions concerning the future of the African penguin. We will create a movement to build pride in African penguins as a part of South Africa’s unique biodiversity, and we will assist penguin colony managers by ensuring that visitors to the colonies behave in a way that supports penguin wellbeing.

The African Penguin

The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is the only species of penguin found on the African continent. It is endemic to the southern African coastline, found from Namibia to the Eastern Cape in South Africa. This beloved bird is known for its black and white plumage, black spots on its chest, and characteristic “bray” resembling the sound of a donkey. Many people still know the bird by its old name – the Jackass penguin. Penguins are sentinels of ecosystem health and play an important role in the functioning of marine ecosystems. African penguin colonies provide an indication of the status of other marine top predators that target the same prey (sardines and anchovies) and are thus essential indicators of the status of pelagic marine ecosystems.

The African penguin is a valuable part of South Africa’s natural heritage. They are the only species of penguin found in Africa and are arguably one of the most accessible penguin species in the world. The mainland African penguin colonies at Boulders Beach and Betty’s Bay are an important drawcard for eco-tourism in South Africa.

But all is not good news for the African Penguin

At the beginning of the 20th century, it is estimated there were between 1.5 and 3 million individual African penguins across the species’ range along the Namibian and South African coast. It is estimated that there were close to 1 million pairs on the West Coast’s Dassen Island alone. However, by the mid-1950s, only about 300,000 pairs were left due to egg harvesting and guano removal for fertilizer. Worryingly, since 1979, when the first complete count of the major South African colonies was conducted, the current breeding population has declined from ~55,200 pairs to a mere ~10,000 in 2021. To put this in perspective, if every wild breeding penguin in South Africa had a seat at Yankee Stadium, the stadium would be less than half full!

Today, the African penguin population is below 10,000 breeding pairs, the lowest recorded number. With such a small number of individual birds in the wild and with the current decline, the population will be functionally extinct by 2035. This means that the population will be so small that they will no longer be able to produce enough offspring to increase their numbers again.

The species was uplisted to Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List in October 2024. The time for action is NOW. If we wait any longer, it will be too late. We need healthy oceans to support marine life now and into the future, especially if we want our children and grandchildren to see African penguins in the wild.

It’s not just about the African Penguin

The possible extinction of African penguins will not only lead to the loss of a charismatic species but also have far-reaching environmental and economic impacts through job losses for tourism and conservation. Areas like Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town and Stony Point in Betty’s Bay on the Cape Coast will lose this iconic species that attracts many people to visit these areas. Africa will lose the only endemic penguin species on the continent.

So, what is the problem?

African penguins are faced with multiple pressures that cumulatively contribute to their decline. Historically, egg harvesting and guano collection led to their decline. However, the more recent decline has been attributed to food shortages caused by shifts in the distributions of their prey species, namely declining small pelagic fish stocks (such as anchovies and sardines) and direct competition with commercial purse-seine fishery for food. The island closure experiment, undertaken over 10 years ago, revealed the value of closing some areas to fishing near breeding colonies of African penguins. However, despite many years of negotiation, no long-term decisions have been implemented.

Many African penguin colonies occur in areas that are near existing or planned significant shipping routes or ports. A growing threat is the expansion of harbors and increased ship traffic. Another emerging threat for the African penguin is ship-to-ship bunkering, which started in Algoa Bay and is planned to expand to the West Coast. A large oil spill near a breeding colony could destroy much of the remaining population. For example, four oil spills have already occurred in Algoa Bay since 2016, when bunkering started. Marine noise pollution is another emerging threat to African penguins in some areas, with evidence suggesting the scale of this impact could be considerable. The maritime industry, including exploration for oil and gas reserves using seismic surveys, is a further looming threat.

In the past, penguins made their nests in the burrows of guano. Harvesting guano removed the penguin nest material. Although guano harvesting is no longer allowed, a lack of nesting habitat is a concern. This is being addressed through revegetation efforts at some colonies, and the deployment of artificial nests shows success at several colonies.

Other threats include disease outbreaks, extreme weather events, localized predation, and human disturbance at breeding colonies. All these threats require carefully implemented management plans for each penguin colony.

How to Help

We would love you to help #NOOW increase awareness.

• Visit #NOOW | NotOnOurWatch
• Follow #NOWW on Facebook and Instagram and share #NOOW campaign posts.
• Share your love for penguins by sharing your photos and videos on social media using the hashtags #AfricanPenguin #NOOW and the KruShan Foundation hashtag #NotBy2035