More than 60,000 African penguins starved to death after sardine numbers off South Africa’s coast plummeted, according to new research. The collapse, driven by climate change and overfishing, wiped out over 95% of penguins in two major breeding colonies on Dassen Island and Robben Island between 2004 and 2012. The paper, published in Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology, warns that similar declines are happening across the region.
Sardines (Sardinops sagax) are a vital food source for African penguins, especially during moulting — a 21-day period when they remain on land and cannot hunt. Penguins must fatten up beforehand, but with fish numbers drastically reduced, many likely starved at sea. Researchers found that, in nearly every year since 2004, sardine biomass off western South Africa fell to just 25% of historical levels. Warming seas, changing salinity and continued commercial fishing further limited fish availability.
The African penguin population has crashed by almost 80% in the last 30 years, and in 2024 the species was declared critically endangered, with fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs remaining.
Efforts to reverse the decline are under way. South Africa has restricted purse-seine fishing near key breeding sites to improve penguins’ access to prey. Conservation teams are also building artificial nests, rescuing starving chicks and adults, and managing predators. But scientists warn that recovery will require stronger fisheries regulation and rebuilding fish stocks urgently.
“This is extremely concerning,” said marine biologist Prof Lorien Pichegru. “We need action now — not only for African penguins, but for every species that relies on these fish.”
