S. African Penguins on the Brink

Penguins and other species are facing extinction in South Africa, as the fish they feed on are harvested to make fishmeal to feed farmed salmon, chickens and other domestic livestock, environmentalists have warned. The South African penguin population has fallen by 70% since 2004, as fishing fleets have targeted sardines, anchovies and other marine animals used to make feed, The Independent reported. A coalition of environmental groups, including World Wildlife Federation, Bird Life Europe and Compassion in World Farming announced on World Penguin Day that they would hold an "Extinction and Livestock" conference in London in October to look for solutions “we so desperately need”. “If nature is to recover, we need to work together and encourage sustainable farming systems which will limit pollution, reduce habitat loss and restore species numbers," Glyn Davies, WWF’s executive director of global programs, said. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, the African penguin, the Galapagos penguin and yellow-eyed penguin are among those classed as are endangered. A total of 10 out of 18 species are listed as either endangered or vulnerable on the Red List.