Ten-Year Fishing Moratorium Enacted in South Africa to Protect Vulnerable Penguin Species

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A South African court order has barred, for at least 10 years, commercial fishing at key breeding colonies for African penguins that are facing extinction.

A South African court has prohibited commercial fishing at crucial breeding sites for African penguins for a minimum of 10 years, addressing the threats these endangered birds face, particularly regarding their food sources. Conservation groups that advocated for this protection hailed the Pretoria High Court’s decision as a significant achievement in efforts to save these unique black-and-white birds native to Southern Africa.

The ruling restricts commercial sardine and anchovy fishing in the waters surrounding six vital breeding colonies for at least a decade. Among these is Robben Island, located about 10 kilometers (six miles) from Cape Town, known for its historical prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years until 1982.

Additional protected areas include the uninhabited Dassen Island along South Africa’s Atlantic coast and the Stony Point nature reserve. “This court order represents a historic victory in the ongoing fight to prevent the critically endangered African Penguin from becoming extinct in the wild,” stated BirdLife South Africa, one of the advocacy groups.

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The International Union for Conservation of Nature classified the African Penguin as critically endangered in October 2024. Conservationists report that 97% of the population has already been lost, and at the current decline rate, these birds may vanish from the wild by 2035. Their dwindling numbers are attributed to various factors, including habitat disturbances and oil spills, with the most significant threat being related to their diet.

Insufficient access to sardines and anchovies often leads to breeding abandonment. The number of breeding pairs decreased from over 15,100 in 2018 to approximately 8,750 by the end of 2023, according to BirdLife South Africa. The ruling requires the environment minister to enforce the closure of the six breeding sites within two weeks.