Progress towards re-estabishment of an African Penguin colony in South Africa

Abstract

**Abstract:** The African Penguin population in South Africa has decreased by 42% since the species was listed as Endangered in 2010. The main driver of this decrease is poor food availability due to shifting forage fish distributions and fishery competition. Sardine and anchovy, the penguins' preferred prey, have shifted eastwards along the southern coast of South Africa, creating a mismatch between the current distribution of fish and penguin historical breeding localities. Establishing new or re-establishing extinct seabird colonies has been used as a successful conservation intervention to restore seabird populations for a number of species. Several techniques have been developed including social attraction and translocation of chicks. Most projects have involved flying seabirds with very few focusing on penguins. Establishing new colonies for African Penguins Spheniscus demersus in South Africa has been identified as an action to improve the status of this species by addressing the mismatch between the distributions of breeding areas and prey. Work has begun to re-establish a breeding colony at the De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa, an area of high fish abundance. Penguins attempted to breed in the area in 2003 but the colony was abandoned by 2006 due to high levels of predation. A predator-proof fence has been constructed, and decoys and call playback installed. We present progress towards re-establishing the colony and the planning for the second phase which will include chick translocation. We discuss the challenges of implementing novel conservation interventions, as well as practical challenges of working in protected areas and managing native predator impacts. Given these long-term management challenges for mainland colonies, we also investigate the feasibility of an creating artificial island breeding habitat. **Authors:** Christina Hagen¹, Alistair McInnes¹, Ross Wanless², Lauren Waller³, Kevin Shaw⁴ ¹BirdLife South Africa, ²National Taiwan Ocean University, ³Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, ⁴CapeNature