African penguins could go extinct by 2035, scientists have suggested. The population of penguins in Africa has declined sharply in the last century, due to increased human intervention and climate change. The species have already been enlisted in the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
African Penguins in Danger
According to official estimates, the continent had more than seven million breeding pairs, which have since then declined to 11,000. The population dropped significantly due to overfishing in the Arabian sea and climate change that is directly threatening the food chain of penguins Furthermore the cute species are highly sensitive to diseases, storms, flooding, and pollution.
Ten-Year Fishing Limit Imposed
The government of South Africa recently imposed a 10-year ban on fishing in the waters around South Africa’s six African penguin colonies. Despite challenges, activists are hopeful that unity among political leadership, companies, scientists, conservationists and international allies will save the penguins from vanishing.
