Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Kristin Engel
Published on 2024-03-22 11:33:30
In an effort to prevent the endangered African penguin from facing extinction, local conservation groups have taken legal action against Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy. The lawsuit challenges the minister’s failure to establish meaningful fishery closures around breeding areas of African penguins.
Brought forth by the Biodiversity Law Centre (BLC), representing BirdLife South Africa (BLSA) and the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob), the application seeks to review and overturn the minister’s decision made on August 4, 2023, regarding fishing closures around crucial African penguin breeding colonies.
The legal action is directed at Creecy, along with other officials and fishing industry associations. The closures around breeding colonies on Dassen Island, Robben Island, Stony Point, Dyer Island, St Croix Island, and Bird Island were announced by Creecy on August 4, 2023, as “interim closures” that were initially implemented in September 2022.
The applicants argue that these closures are ineffective and do not address the core issues facing African penguins, such as competition with commercial fishing activities. Despite the closures being in place until December 2033, just over a year before the projected extinction date of 2035, the applicants believe they do not adequately protect the penguins’ foraging areas.
The status of African penguins on the IUCN red list is currently being evaluated for a move from “endangered” to “critically endangered.” The latest census in 2023 revealed a significant decline in breeding pairs, emphasizing the urgent need for conservation efforts.
The primary threat to African penguins is the lack of access to prey due to competition with commercial fishing activities. To address this issue, BLSA and Sanccob are challenging the decision to implement fishing closures for a period of 10 years around six key breeding colonies. They argue that the closures are insufficient and must be revised to protect the penguins effectively.
The closures initially implemented by the minister aimed to reduce competition between African penguins and commercial fisheries. However, the lack of adequate closures has led to a continued decline in the penguin population.
The executive director of the BLC, Kate Handley, expressed the urgency of the situation, highlighting the importance of implementing biologically meaningful closures to preserve the African penguin population. Failure to take appropriate measures could result in the extinction of the species by 2035.
The legal action represents a critical juncture in the conservation efforts for African penguins, setting a precedent for the government’s obligation to protect endangered species. The applicants seek meaningful closures based on scientific recommendations to ensure the survival of African penguins.
The impending extinction of the African penguin underscores the urgency of the situation. The decline in population and lack of adequate conservation measures necessitate immediate action to prevent the species from disappearing in the wild by 2035.
In conclusion, the legal action taken by conservation groups against Minister Creecy highlights the critical need for effective conservation measures to save the African penguin from extinction. The outcome of this legal challenge could have far-reaching implications for the protection of endangered species and the environment as a whole.
Read the original article on Daily Maverick
