Penguins

By Pablo Perfumo

Penguins

• Penguins feed on sardines and anchovies which is their main source of food. These fish

• moved to the east and out of range of the penguin colonies. One major problem is while

• they are breeding, penguins can’t travel very far they can’t leave their nests or chicks. The amount of food around the breeding colonies can be improved by creating “No Fishing Zones”,which means the fishermen are not able to fish in those areas.

PenguinsAfrican penguins live inSouth Africa & Namibia.The penguins live ingroups within the colonies.They build their nests on the ground near the beach so they can burrow in the ground. The African penguins are being threatened, there is not enough food for them to live on.

Thinking of ways to fix this problemThe penguins are eating anchovies, sardines and or both. The scientists willtalk to the fishermen and ask them not to catch so many of that kind of fish. Sometimes the fishermen listen, but often they don’t. The fishermen need to catch fish so that they can make moneyfor their families.

Diet sampling from the penguinsScientists on Robben Island regularly do “diet sampling”on the South African penguinsThey pick 10 birds and makethem throw up what they’veeaten. Some would say this isa gross process but it’s a way to help the penguins. Then the scientists study the fishthat come out of there stomachto see what they have been eating.

PenguinsBut the penguins need the fish so they can survive.This is causing a big problem between the penguins and fishermen.People should try to do things the fair way by sharing the seas. The fishermen should keep half of the sardines and anchovies by fishing and catching less. Then the penguins can eat and stay alive.

PenguinsThe penguins can go back to their nests and feed theirchicks. If the fishing boats take half the amount of fish and the penguins get the other half to eat, then that will be fair to both the penguins and the fishermen.