African penguins starving

New study finds that some SA populations are estimated to have fallen 95% in only eight years

- Sheree Bega

African penguins along South Africa’s coast have probably starved in large numbers during their moulting season because of collapsing food supplies, a new study reveals.

At two key breeding colonies — Dassen Island and Robben Island — researchers estimate that about 95% of African penguins that bred in 2004 died over the next eight years because of food scarcity.

The findings, published this week in Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology, were produced by a team from the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment and the University of Exeter.

Between 2004 and 2011, sardine stocks off western South Africa were consistently below 25% of their peak abundance, said coauthor and conservation biologist Richard Sherley from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter.

"This appears to have caused severe food shortage for African penguins, leading to an estimated loss of about 62 000 breeding individuals," said Sherley, whose research focus is on using long-term data on animal populations to examine human impacts on — and interactions with —the oceans.

The study highlights the urgent need to restore sardine populations in critical foraging areas. African penguins, classified as critically endangered last year, rely on these fish for survival.

The charismatic seabird, which is endemic to South Africa and Namibia, has lost 97% of its population. If current trends persist, the species will be extinct in the wild by 2035.

Mass starvation during moult

African penguins undergo a major moult annually — usually soon after breeding — shedding and replacing all their worn-out feathers with fresh, new ones to keep up their insulation and waterproofing.