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Of politics, penguins and how a new environment minister thwarted probable extinction

Andrew de Blocq
By Andrew de Blocq
25 Mar 2025
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Since 2000, the African penguin population in South Africa has declined by more than 80%, with fewer than 9,000 breeding pairs remaining. In 2024, it was officially listed as critically endangered — one step from extinction.

On 12 March 2025, a quiet triumph unfolded in South Africa, one that will be remembered as a turning point for the critically endangered African penguin.

At the insistence of the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Dr Dion George, an historic settlement was brokered between the fishing industry and conservation powerhouses BirdLife South Africa and the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob).

This agreement, which establishes critical fishing closures to protect penguin breeding colonies, is a rare victory for both conservation and sustainable industry, but most importantly for the penguins themselves.

As a former penguinologist with BirdLife South Africa and a current Member of Parliament with the Democratic Alliance (DA), I am uniquely placed in relation to this issue.

In May 2024, South Africa entered a new era of coalition politics as the African National Congress (ANC) lost its electoral majority for the first time in 30 years. Few could have predicted it, but the survival of the African penguin will now become a fortunate byproduct of that political shift.

Anaemic department


Just months before the election, BirdLife South Africa and Sanccob took then-Minister Barbara Creecy to court in a desperate bid to protect the species. Despite repeated warnings from seabird biologists, her anaemic department had allowed penguin numbers to plummet.

Since 2000, the African penguin population in South Africa has declined by more than 80%, with fewer than 9,000 breeding pairs remaining. In 2024, it was officially listed as critically endangered — one step from extinction.

Though I had moved on from penguin conservation by then, my early research contributed to the court case, making the issue deeply personal.

When I joined Parliament, I carried the fight to the minister’s office — now occupied by Dr Dion George, the first non-ANC environmental minister. A self-described “finance man”, George was quick to grasp the urgency of the crisis. Unlike his predecessors, he was willing to act decisively.

Soon after taking office, he instructed his legal team to resolve the island closure dispute, ensuring fishing restrictions around key breeding sites through a settlement.

His first attempt to convene all parties, excluding lawyers, resulted in only the fishing industry attending. Undeterred, he called a second meeting with legal representatives and insisted on a working group to find consensus.

The outcome? A court-sanctioned settlement enforced by the government and shaped by stakeholders themselves.

The agreement establishes permanent and science-backed protections. Dassen Island’s interim closure is now indefinite, Bird Island will have a 20km protective radius, and Robben Island, Stony Point, Dyer Island, and St Croix Island each benefit from tailored safeguards.

Balance


These measures balance conservation with the fishing industry’s sustainability, not just preaching collaboration but proving it works.

George’s insistence on bringing stakeholders together, industry leaders and conservationists alike, transformed a potential battlefield into a roundtable. The settlement delivers on the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment’s vision of safeguarding biodiversity without sacrificing economic stability, a feat that seemed elusive until George took charge.

The success belongs to many; scientists and conservationists fought tirelessly for years, while the fishing industry ultimately came to the table in good faith.

But there must also be special mention of Dion George. In an era where conservation battles often end in gridlock and where human interests are prioritised at the expense of the planet, he has shown that pragmatism, persistence, and a belief in common ground can yield extraordinary outcomes.

For the African penguin, this could be a lifeline. These closures offer much-needed relief for a national icon that was hurtling towards oblivion. For South Africans, it is a reminder that economic and environmental priorities can coexist.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment’s commitment to monitoring the impact of these closures ensures that this is not just a symbolic victory but a measurable step toward penguin recovery.

As the department finalises the supporting regulations, one thing is clear: South Africa’s penguins have a brighter future thanks to the persistence of conservationists, the cooperation of industry, and the leadership of a minister who refused to let them disappear. DM

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