New research indicates that no-take zones, where commercial fishing is prohibited, are playing a vital role in safeguarding African Penguins by helping to restore their critical food supply.
While these protected areas have shown promising results, conservationists are urging the South African government to expand them further to ensure the species' long-term survival. The African Penguin has seen its population dwindle by 99% due to food shortages and habitat threats.
A major contributor to this decline is competition with commercial purse-seine fishing, which targets small pelagic fish — primarily sardines and anchovies — the penguins rely on for survival.
No-take zones, designed to help restore fish stocks, are showing signs of success, according to new scientific findings.
A study led by ornithologists, including BirdLife South Africa’s Dr Alistair McInnes and the University of Exeter’s Dr Richard Sherley, evaluated the impact of these zones around six major penguin colonies, including Robben Island, Dyer Island, and St. Croix Island. Together, these colonies support 76% of the global African Penguin population.
The study, Commercial fishery no-take zones for African penguins minimise fisheries losses at the expense of conservation gains, found that no-take zones around these areas have reduced fishing pressures, allowing fish populations to rebound and, in turn, improving feeding conditions for penguins.
Despite these positive developments, the researchers concluded that the current zones are too small to fully address the penguins’ needs, as some colonies still experience insufficient protection. For example, less than 50% of the penguins’ core feeding areas around four colonies remain open to purse-seine fishing.
"While no-take zones are effective, they need to be expanded to better cover penguin feeding areas," said Dr McInnes.
"These zones have shown that they can make a real difference in penguin survival, but we need to extend them to provide more substantial benefits."
The study found that "the zone around Robben Island is, in fact, no improvement on the no-take fishing zone implemented when the Robben Island Marine Protected Area was gazetted in 2019, a designation that pre-dated the IRPR and was based on a systematic conservation planning process incorporating a diversity of biodiversity features and not focusing on African penguins in particular."
The African Penguin is now nearing the 'Critically Endangered' status on the IUCN Red List, with breeding pairs falling below 10,000 for the first time. Despite this, the study provides hope that the species can still be saved if no-take zones are properly enforced and expanded.
In response to these findings, SANCCOB and BirdLife South Africa have filed a legal challenge through the Biodiversity Law Centre against the South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
The lawsuit seeks to extend no-take zones to more effectively align with the penguins' feeding areas, reducing competition with commercial fisheries while minimising the economic impact on the fishing industry.
“These no-take zones are showing the right signs, but more needs to be done. We cannot afford to wait while this iconic species continues to decline,” said Nicky Stander, head of conservation at SANCCOB.
“With better enforcement and expansion of these protected areas, we could see a recovery in penguin populations over time.”
As both predators and prey, African Penguins play an essential role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems. The success of no-take zones in rebuilding fish populations offers a blueprint for future conservation efforts, not just for penguins but for broader ocean health.
Conservationists are urging the South African government to take immediate action and support expanded protections to ensure the long-term survival of the species.
The research findings have spurred global conservation campaigns, with figures like freediver and social activist Zandi Ndhlovu joining efforts to raise awareness of the penguins' plight.
Ndhlovu, who recently launched a petition in collaboration with SANCCOB, BirdLife South Africa, and Blue Marine, has called for urgent international support.
"Our results highlight shortfalls with the current no-take zones in protecting the preferred foraging areas for African penguins throughout their range. Four of the six current no-take zones include more or less than 50 percent of the African penguins’ core foraging areas,” the researchers found.
The research is clear: no-take zones work. But we need more of them to save the African Penguin from extinction,” said Ndhlovu.
“The time to act is now.”
IOL