Pinguine verhungerten massenhaft, da einige Populationen vor Südafrika in nur acht Jahren schätzungsweise um 95 % zurückgegangen sind. Seit 2004 ist die Biomasse der Sardine Sardinops sagax, einem wichtigen Nahrungsmittel der Pinguine, in allen drei Jahren auf weniger als 25 % ihres maximalen Vorkommens gesunken
Penguins ‘starved to death en masse’ as food supply collapsed
8 Kommentare
Penguins living off the coast of South Africa have likely starved to death en masse during their moulting season as a result of collapsing food supplies.
In fact, on two of the most important breeding colonies of the African penguin – Dassen Island and Robben Island – some 95% of the birds that bred in 2004 were estimated to have died over the next eight years due to food scarcity.
This is the conclusion of a new study by an international team of researchers from the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and the University of Exeter, published today in the journal Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology.
“Between 2004 and 2011, the sardine stock off west South Africa was consistently below 25% of its peak abundance and this appears to have caused severe food shortage for African penguins, leading to an estimated loss of about 62,000 breeding individuals,” said co-author Dr Richard Sherley, from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
The findings, say the researchers, could have important relevance to management strategies to help secure the long-term survival of the birds.
“In 2024, African penguins were classified as Critically Endangered, and restoring sardine biomass in key foraging areas would seem to be essential for their long-term survival,” Dr Sherley said.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2989/00306525.2025.2568382
Massive Chinese fishing operations to blame I imagine.
We need to ban finishing ASAP.
There simply isn’t another way.
Overfishing, especially of lower trophic level fish, leading to ecological collapse has been talked about for decades and we’ve done nothing meaningful as a species to prevent it worldwide.
Between our destruction of ecosystems via pollution and climate change, as well as directly removing major food sources, the speed at which we see these collapsing populations is only going to increase in a chain reaction.
sad 🙁 hope they have responsible politicians who will act on it, but i doubt
Globalisation at work.
People need to boycott krill oil, better still, make its sale illegal
did happy feet teach us nothing