SAMREC:Overfishing leaving the ocean in a desperate state

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

SAMREC Port Elizabeth says that overfishing has left the ocean in a desperate state and there is a massive shortage of fish.

Samrec trustee, Libby Sharwood, says there's not enough food for starving penguins who wash ashore.

She says it's so bad that some penguins have even started to digest their own organs.

Sharwood says this problem has intensified over the last two months.

"In the last two months the babies from the last breeding season of penguins have been washing up on our shores. We have been fetching from Van Staadens from Port Alfred, collecting penguins who come in absolutely starving, some of them have even started digesting their own organs."

Meanwhile, Sharwood says the release of fifteen penguins that underwent rehabilitation at Samrec will take place on Sunday.

"We fatten them up and release them, but we having to put them back into the same situation. At the moment neither Bayworld or us can find food. We need small pilchards, the pilchards we can get are so big that they cannot fit into the penguins mouths. We are appealing to people to be aware of the fact that our sea is in a desperate state." says Sharwood.