Can African penguins be brought back from the brink? Better designed no-fishing zones could help

A new court order seeks to protect African penguins, which are critically endangered.

By: Jacqui Glencross, University of St Andrews, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 25, 2026

Words: 1,023

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 1 day ago

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By Jacqui Glencross, University of St Andrews

South Africa is home to 88% of the world’s colonies of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus). The species is classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This means there is a high risk the birds could go extinct in the wild following rapid population declines.

This species was once abundant along the coasts of South Africa and Namibia. But the population has …

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