African penguins are becoming victims of hunger and overfishing
More than 60,000 penguins have been found dead from starvation along the southern coasts of Africa. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
The main causes of this phenomenon are global climate change and the sharp decline in sardine fish due to increasing fishing. This was reported by The Guardian.
Between 2004 and 2012, the number of penguins on Dassen and Robben Islands, which are important breeding grounds in South Africa, decreased by more than 95 percent. Overall, the African penguin population has declined by nearly 80 percent in the last 30 years.
Scientists emphasize that penguins often die of starvation during molting. The molting process lasts about 21 days, during which they cannot enter the water.
Therefore, they need to fatten up well before this process; otherwise, survival becomes difficult. The number of Sardinops sagax sardines, the main food source for penguins, has dropped to only 25 percent of the maximum level since 2004.
Changes in water temperature and salinity levels are causing the fish population to decline. Nevertheless, the volume of fishing in the region has not decreased.
In 2024, African penguins were classified as a “critically endangered species.” Currently, the number of breeding pairs is less than 10,000.
This poses a serious threat to their biological survival.
