Sanccob
South Africans joined thousands of people around the world to take a stand and say no to the extinction of the African penguin.
The biggest ever “worldwide waddle” for the endangered species began in Tasmania and Japan on Saturday and wound its way to the UAE, Europe and Africa, including South Africa.
“The turnout has been incredible and we’re both humbled and grateful to see how many people care so much about saving the African penguin,’’ said Dr Judy Mann, President of the International Zoo Educators Association.
Mann is also the Executive Head of Strategy at the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation and a founder of the #NotOnOurWatch survival campaign.
She said to have such an abundance of supporters that there were events planned on six continents was beyond our wildest dreams.
And, according to Mann, this is just the start.
"With this ground swell behind us, we feel confident South African authorities, conservationists and private industry will hear these voices from around the world and work more closely together to protect our unique and endemic penguins".
Mann said the “waddle” was endorsed by the United Nations.
In August the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment imposed an interim 10-year fishing limitation in waters around penguin colonies, including two sites in the Eastern Cape.
Also Read: Government takes steps to protect African penguin population
Minister, Barbara Creecy, said it was in response to an expert panel review into the decline of African penguin colonies around the coastline.
She said the fishing limitation imposed would be reviewed after six years of implementation and data collection.
Creecy said the number of African penguin breeding pairs, endemic to South Africa and Namibia, had declined from around 10 million to just over 10 000 over the last century.
Breeding pairs are found off St Croix and Bird Islands off Nelson Mandela Bay.
