Despite the potentially catastrophic effect of an oil spill resulting from bunkering in Algoa Bay on resident endangered African penguins, it is not listed as a threat in the government’s new draft plan to save the species.
The Draft Biodiversity Management Plan for African Penguins gazetted last week by the department of environment, forestry and fisheries (Deff) also makes no reference to the government’s own proposal to install an ocean-based fin fish farm off Coega, despite the warning from local seabird specialists of the negative impact this will have on the penguin.
According to Sustainable Seas Trust director Stacey Webb, the plan had serious shortcomings in its present form and it was essential that stakeholders should submit their comments for input.
Speaking on Tuesday, Webb said: “The plan has a lot of interventions that are Western Cape-focused, despite the fact that the largest portion of the African penguin population lives in Algoa Bay.
“It briefly mentions bunkering and the need for this activity to be considered during rezoning discussions.
“However, due to the close proximity of the Port of Ngqura to the Addo Marine Protected Area and the African penguin breeding colonies, any zoning changes in Algoa Bay are problematic.
“There are no changes to the zoning that would enable bunkering to be a safe distance from these breeding colonies.
“The decision to prohibit bunkering in Algoa Bay should be seriously considered, if we are to save this iconic species.”
There were also other potential threats to the species in Algoa Bay that should have been addressed, she said.
“For example, the site of the proposed fin fish farm at Algoa 7 between the Port of Ngqura and St Croix Island where the single biggest breeding colony of African penguins lives, and the impact that will have on their environment and them.
“For us to add fin fish farm faecal and chemical pollution into the waters where these birds occur when they are already under such pressure makes no sense.
“Yet this issue is not mentioned at all.”
The document mentioned a workshop that took place in 2010 to draft the plan and this was perhaps a reflection of the amount of time that had passed between that workshop and the plan being gazetted, she said.
“It is imperative that experts from Algoa Bay send in their comments to ensure that the next draft of the biodiversity management plan is a plan that can be successful to save this iconic charismatic species.”
According to the draft plan, in the 1920s the population of African penguins distributed over 3,200km of coastline between Holloms Bird Island off central Namibia and Algoa Bay was “in the order of millions”.
But it had declined steadily since then and in the period 2001-2009 alone 35,000 breeding pairs were lost.
By 2018 there were just 15,000 pairs left.
“Given that no further interventions are implemented, it is predicted that the future population along the west coast of South Africa will continue to undergo rapid reduction and could be functionally extinct by 2035.”
Unveiling the draft plan last week, Deff minister Barbara Creecy said it could be accessed via the department’s website at www.environment.gov.za and members of the public wishing to comment should do so by November 18.
Letters should be posted to The Deputy Director-General, Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Private Bag X4390, Cape Town 8000, or e-mailed to marinespecies@environment.gov.za.
Flagship seabird plays central role in tourism
The government’s new plan to rescue the endangered African penguin from extinction has emphasised the importance of the flagship seabirds — more than half of which live and breed in Algoa Bay — environmentally and economically.
According to the Draft Biodiversity Management Plan released for comment, the species plays a key role in SA’s marine tourism sector.
“For example, the colony at Boulders in Cape Town is one of the world’s most-visited penguin colonies with 885 jobs associated with it,” it says.
“In 2018, the likely income generation directly associated with this colony over the next 30 years was estimated at approximately R6.87bn.”
The species was considered to be a sentinel of ecosystem health, playing an important role in the functioning of marine ecosystems, the plan said.
“Therefore, thriving African penguin colonies will indicate that SA’s marine ecosystems are in good shape, or vice versa.”
Further, with their position as near-apex marine predators, their hunting technique of herding small prey fish together provided other seabirds with the opportunity to feed.
According to the document, the primary threat to survival of the species is food scarcity.
“Many of the recent population declines of African penguins have resulted from food shortages caused by shifts in the distribution of prey species and competition with commercial purse-seine fisheries for food.”
Research by Bay marine biologist Dr Lorien Pichegru of NMU pointed to a possible solution in this regard, it noted.
“The observed decrease in foraging effort at St Croix Island, recorded by Pichegru in 2010, and the increase in chick survival and chick condition at Robben Island, which followed the establishment of 20km notake zones around these colonies, demonstrates that it is possible to implement interventions that reduce the threats associated with resource competition.”
The plan also spotlighted climate change as a threat as it had created a mismatch in the distributions of breeding colonies and prey resources.
“Changes in sea surface temperatures, atmospheric surface pressure and winds have affected spawning conditions for sardine and anchovy stocks and resulted in a shift in the distribution of these species away from breeding colonies.”
Seismic surveys were also a problem, it said, again quoting Pichegru’s research findings.
The plan recommended 14 measures to achieve the goal of boosting the penguin population by 5% by 2024.
These included declaration of special management areas, identification of problematic fishing activities and “advising on zonation of shipping lanes, bunkering operations and shipping activities so as to minimise the risk of oil spills”.
Draft penguin rescue plan makes little mention of Algoa Bay threats
Image: EUGENE COETZEE
Despite the potentially catastrophic effect of an oil spill resulting from bunkering in Algoa Bay on resident endangered African penguins, it is not listed as a threat in the government’s new draft plan to save the species.
The Draft Biodiversity Management Plan for African Penguins gazetted last week by the department of environment, forestry and fisheries (Deff) also makes no reference to the government’s own proposal to install an ocean-based fin fish farm off Coega, despite the warning from local seabird specialists of the negative impact this will have on the penguin.
According to Sustainable Seas Trust director Stacey Webb, the plan had serious shortcomings in its present form and it was essential that stakeholders should submit their comments for input.
Speaking on Tuesday, Webb said: “The plan has a lot of interventions that are Western Cape-focused, despite the fact that the largest portion of the African penguin population lives in Algoa Bay.
“It briefly mentions bunkering and the need for this activity to be considered during rezoning discussions.
“However, due to the close proximity of the Port of Ngqura to the Addo Marine Protected Area and the African penguin breeding colonies, any zoning changes in Algoa Bay are problematic.
“There are no changes to the zoning that would enable bunkering to be a safe distance from these breeding colonies.
“The decision to prohibit bunkering in Algoa Bay should be seriously considered, if we are to save this iconic species.”
There were also other potential threats to the species in Algoa Bay that should have been addressed, she said.
“For example, the site of the proposed fin fish farm at Algoa 7 between the Port of Ngqura and St Croix Island where the single biggest breeding colony of African penguins lives, and the impact that will have on their environment and them.
“For us to add fin fish farm faecal and chemical pollution into the waters where these birds occur when they are already under such pressure makes no sense.
“Yet this issue is not mentioned at all.”
The document mentioned a workshop that took place in 2010 to draft the plan and this was perhaps a reflection of the amount of time that had passed between that workshop and the plan being gazetted, she said.
“It is imperative that experts from Algoa Bay send in their comments to ensure that the next draft of the biodiversity management plan is a plan that can be successful to save this iconic charismatic species.”
According to the draft plan, in the 1920s the population of African penguins distributed over 3,200km of coastline between Holloms Bird Island off central Namibia and Algoa Bay was “in the order of millions”.
But it had declined steadily since then and in the period 2001-2009 alone 35,000 breeding pairs were lost.
By 2018 there were just 15,000 pairs left.
“Given that no further interventions are implemented, it is predicted that the future population along the west coast of South Africa will continue to undergo rapid reduction and could be functionally extinct by 2035.”
Unveiling the draft plan last week, Deff minister Barbara Creecy said it could be accessed via the department’s website at www.environment.gov.za and members of the public wishing to comment should do so by November 18.
Letters should be posted to The Deputy Director-General, Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Private Bag X4390, Cape Town 8000, or e-mailed to marinespecies@environment.gov.za.
Flagship seabird plays central role in tourism
The government’s new plan to rescue the endangered African penguin from extinction has emphasised the importance of the flagship seabirds — more than half of which live and breed in Algoa Bay — environmentally and economically.
According to the Draft Biodiversity Management Plan released for comment, the species plays a key role in SA’s marine tourism sector.
“For example, the colony at Boulders in Cape Town is one of the world’s most-visited penguin colonies with 885 jobs associated with it,” it says.
“In 2018, the likely income generation directly associated with this colony over the next 30 years was estimated at approximately R6.87bn.”
The species was considered to be a sentinel of ecosystem health, playing an important role in the functioning of marine ecosystems, the plan said.
“Therefore, thriving African penguin colonies will indicate that SA’s marine ecosystems are in good shape, or vice versa.”
Further, with their position as near-apex marine predators, their hunting technique of herding small prey fish together provided other seabirds with the opportunity to feed.
According to the document, the primary threat to survival of the species is food scarcity.
“Many of the recent population declines of African penguins have resulted from food shortages caused by shifts in the distribution of prey species and competition with commercial purse-seine fisheries for food.”
Research by Bay marine biologist Dr Lorien Pichegru of NMU pointed to a possible solution in this regard, it noted.
“The observed decrease in foraging effort at St Croix Island, recorded by Pichegru in 2010, and the increase in chick survival and chick condition at Robben Island, which followed the establishment of 20km notake zones around these colonies, demonstrates that it is possible to implement interventions that reduce the threats associated with resource competition.”
The plan also spotlighted climate change as a threat as it had created a mismatch in the distributions of breeding colonies and prey resources.
“Changes in sea surface temperatures, atmospheric surface pressure and winds have affected spawning conditions for sardine and anchovy stocks and resulted in a shift in the distribution of these species away from breeding colonies.”
Seismic surveys were also a problem, it said, again quoting Pichegru’s research findings.
The plan recommended 14 measures to achieve the goal of boosting the penguin population by 5% by 2024.
These included declaration of special management areas, identification of problematic fishing activities and “advising on zonation of shipping lanes, bunkering operations and shipping activities so as to minimise the risk of oil spills”.
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