In Cape Town, South Africa, African penguins are in dramatic decline due to overfishing of their staple food source of sardine. It is the only penguin species in Africa, and experts predict it might not survive this decade. South African environmental agencies have successfully implemented temporary restrictions on purse-seine fishing, which uses nets to scoop up large quantities of fish indiscriminately and is the primary method for the commercial sardine fishery in South Africa.
In the aftermath of the restrictions, Danielle Filjon will look to environmental expert predictions as she explores the potential balance between preserving the valuable African penguin species, and preserving an economic staple of South Africa.
