Penguin centre faces money crisis danger

ALARM bells have been sounded around funding for the South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre (Samrec), with Nelson Mandela Bay's penguin rehabilitation facility now dipping into reserve funds to stay afloat.

This was revealed at a workshop attended by Samrec staff and stakeholders at the Cape Recife centre late last week.

The non-profit organisation plays a leading role in the rehabilitation of marine life in Algoa Bay and in education programmes. Vitally, it is also custodian of the African penguin in the Bay, where the world's largest breeding colony is on St Croix Island.

The workshop, facilitated by SA Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) communications and governance manager Penny Haworth, was directed at determining Samrec's key attributes and benefits with the ultimate aim of finding ways to address the centre's financial position. - Shaun Gillham