Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
Question by Mr D W Bryant
In relation to the endangered African penguin:
(a) What steps are being taken to prevent the decline in the number of African penguins in the Stony Point colony, which falls under the jurisdiction of CapeNature, (b) how many meetings have taken place in the past 12 months between CapeNature and SANParks to develop joint strategies to conserve the African penguin and (c) what is the estimated total number of African penguins that is currently under the jurisdiction of CapeNature?
(a) To prevent the decline of the African Penguin, CapeNature’s management strategies are aligned to the objectives and actions outlined in the African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan:
- CapeNature maintains a partnership with SANCCOB in the management of the colony as it relates to injured or oiled seabirds, inclusive of African penguin egg and chick rescue at times of extreme weather incidents.
- Collection of surveillance and monitoring data of the African penguin and other breeding seabirds. This includes surveillance and monitoring of breeding success, predation, and moult, aligned with the requirements in the African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan.
- Preparedness to ensure clear and implementable response to minimise and remedy the impacts of catastrophic events: oil spill and extreme weather events (the development of a site-specific oil spill response plan in process and flood mitigation actions being implemented during extreme weather).
- Annual penguin awareness events are implemented on site, e.g. Penguin Palooza.
(b) CapeNature and SANParks participate in the African Penguin Working Group, convened by the DFFE. This forum is established to facilitate collaboration and integration of the implementation of the African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan. Four meetings were convened in the last 12 months.
(c) CapeNature is responsible for the management Stony Point, Dassen Island and Dyer Island where African Penguin colonies are established, representing a total of 4 270 breeding pairs (8 540 individuals).
Protected Area | Breeding Pairs | Individuals |
Dassen Island | 2 333 | 4 666 |
Stony Point | 1 067 | 2 134 |
Dyer Island | 870 | 1 740 |
Total | 4 270 | 8 540 |
CapeNature in partnership with BirdlifeSA and SANCCOB, is in the process of evaluating the establishment of a land based African Penguin breeding colony linked to the eastward shift of small pelagic fish populations, at De Hoop Nature Reserve. A total of 214 penguins were released since 2021, (88 in 2021, 60 in 2022 and 66 in 2023). Breeding adults were observed in June 2022 and the first two chicks in October 2022. Only one pair bred that year. Four pairs bred in 2023, raising six chicks between them.
