It comes as green groups including BirdLife South Africa, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) and the Blue Marine Foundation are calling on the South African government to take immediate action by establishing effective no-take zones around the six key African penguin colonies.
Christina Hagen, Pamela Isdell fellow of penguin conservation at BirdLife South Africa, said: “By creating a safe space for them to breed in an area with a better food supply, we are actively working to counter one of the biggest threats to their survival.
African penguins are becoming frequently too hungry to focus on breeding as climate change and competition for fish decimates their primary food sources of sardines and anchovies.
Joanna Coumbe, director of communications at the Blue Marine Foundation, said: “With penguins already struggling to find enough fish, their love stories could soon become history.
“While the process takes time and comes with challenges, the fact that wild African penguins have already started breeding here is an incredibly positive sign.
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