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Sheep Wool

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sheep

Sheep Wool

Painful mutilations – the bloody business of sheep wool production

Sheep are kept for the production of wool, meat and dairy, with Merino breed of sheep as one of the mainly used breeds for wool1 – an indispensable product in the fashion world. The wool of white sheep is preferred, as it can be dyed any colour – hence the origin of the idiom ‘black sheep’, whose wool is less valued by industry.

The wool business is thriving worldwide. The leading producers are Australia, South America, and New Zealand, with Australia being home to over 78 million sheep2. Approximately 1,2 billion sheep live worldwide (FAO, 2020)3 and about half of those are directly used for wool production4,5. As with most widely used animal-based products, wool production and sheep farming come with major animal welfare issues.

Live Lamb Cutting (Mulesing): a cruel mutilation

Live lamb cutting is a procedure, where lambs, just 6-12 weeks old, are restrained on their backs, while strips of skin are cut away from their backside. Live lamb cutting causes excruciating pain, fear, and stress, and it’s legal to carry out this procedure without any form of pain relief.6,7 This painful procedure is practised in Australia to avoid Myiasis (Flystrike). Flystrike is the infestation of a live sheep’s body by flies, that lay their eggs in the skin folds of the hind parts of the sheep. Flies are especially drawn to that part of sheep because it is soaked with moisture and faeces. The highly wrinkled Merino sheep that are bred in Australia are especially prone to flystrike because their wrinkles capture moisture for a longer duration than plain bodied sheep. Live lamb cutting does not adequately protect sheep against flystrike, as flies can attack other parts of a sheep’s body (‘bodystrike’).8 FOUR PAWS opposes mulesing live lamb cutting and calls on brands and industry stakeholders to phase out the practice.

FOUR PAWS advocates responsible wool sourcing

The solutions are available. More than 1,000 wool growers in Australia have successfully transitioned to flystrike resistant plain or smooth-bodied Merino sheep, proving that live lamb cutting (mulesing) is no longer necessary. Major suppliers can provide certified and reliably traced live lamb cutting-free wool. FOUR PAWS asks the wool industry and especially brands to take responsibility for the welfare of the sheep in their wool supply chains. Brands must set and communicate their timelines for a phase-out of live lamb cut wool. A clear signal from brands will encourage their supply chains to transition away from live lamb cutting. Read about our different case studies that show positive change is possible here.

What You Can Do

  • If you plan to purchase wool products, please check the brand’s webpage or contact them to ask what steps they are taking to exclude wool from live lamb cut sheep and to make sure their wool products are live lamb cutting-free.
  • Sign our petition calling on brands to phase out live lamb cut wool.
  • The most animal-friendly decision you can take is not to purchase or use any wool at all. Check out all those great alternatives out there!

Appeal towards the brands

  1. For information on moving away from Live Lamb Cutting, please refer to the FOUR PAWS Guidebook on “Transitioning Away from Live Lamb Cut Sheep Wool”, a resource combining science, brand insights, case studies from farmers that transitioned, as well as information on assurance schemes linked to live lamb cutting-free wool.
  2. Check your wool supply chain and find out if your wool is live lamb cutting-free or not.
  3. If your wool is live lamb cutting-free, let everybody know about it!
  4. Your consumers are keen to see that you’re caring about the welfare of the sheep in your supply chain.
  5. Should you find out that you’re sourcing wool from live lamb cut sheep, start setting up a phase-out plan and communicate it in your policies and to your supply chain.
  6. Your demand for non-live lamb cut wool will trigger a big change for more animal welfare in sheep wool production!
  7. Feel free to get in touch with FOUR PAWS if you need any support.

Sources:

  1. The Many Uses Of Wool. The Many Uses Of Wool. [accessed 2023 Dec 19]. https://www.hdwool.com/blog/the-many-uses-of-wool
  2. Sheep projections | Meat & Livestock Australia. MLA Corporate. [accessed 2023 Dec 19]. https://www.mla.com.au/prices-markets/Trends-analysis/sheep-projections
  3. FAO. Crops and livestock products. [accessed 2022 Sep 19]. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL
  4. Merino: King of Sheep | Maryland Small Ruminant Page. mdsmallruminant. [accessed 2023 Mar 3]. https://www.sheepandgoat.com/merinosheep
  5. IWTO. STATISTICS. International Wool Textile Organisation. [accessed 2023 Mar 3]. https://iwto.org/resources/statistics/
  6. Fisher AD. Addressing pain caused by mulesing in sheep. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2011;135(3):232–240.
  7. Johnston CH, Richardson VL, Whittaker AL. How Well Does Australian Animal Welfare Policy Reflect Scientific Evidence: A Case Study Approach Based on Lamb Marking. Animals. 2023;13(8):1358. doi:10.3390/ani13081358
  8. Phillips CJC. A review of mulesing and other methods to control flystrike (cutaneous myiasis) in sheep. Animal Welfare. 2009;18(2):113–121.

Source: Four Paws

Wild animals in zoos

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animals

Wild animals in zoos

Accommodating animals according to their needs

Wild animals have complex ecological, social, and behavioural needs, which must be considered when keeping them under human care – but not all zoos are able or willing to meet them. Many substandard zoos worldwide are at fault for major welfare shortcomings. These include deficits like insufficient space, lack of species-specific enclosures, and incorrect social management.

The limitations combined may trigger the development of health conditions and behavioural problems, like stereotypies and aberrant social behaviour. For example, if animals perform the same movements over a longer period, this indicates stereotypic behaviour. The absence of such disorders unfortunately does not necessarily mean that animals are in good mental and/or physical condition, as wild animals are generally good at hiding their suffering.

Species-appropriate accommodation

From an animal welfare point of view, species-appropriate keeping of wild animals in zoos is fundamentally difficult to ensure. They should be kept in such ways that pain, suffering and behavioural problems are avoided at any time to the maximum possible extent. At the same time, the occurrence and promotion of positive experiences, which can be expressed through playing, comfort and exploring behaviours, are essential to guarantee that the welfare of the animals is a priority.

FOUR PAWS strongly opposes encounters and interactions with wild animals, dolphinariums or the use of wild animals as any form of entertainment. Zoos should overcome the outdated approach of collections of species and end the keeping of those animals whose requirements cannot be met. This includes territory size, feeding behaviour, social structure and climatic needs. In addition, zoos must renounce the acquisition of animals from the wild or any commercial trader or breeding facility. Surplus animals, regardless of age, should not be killed nor sold for commercial purposes or to wildlife traders. By providing shelter for injured, neglected and/or orphaned wildlife, and rescuing animals from illegal trade and/or inappropriate keeping, zoos can actively contribute towards more animal welfare worldwide.

Problems in European zoos

All Member States in the European Union must implement the Zoos Directive, which aims to ensure that zoos contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and aim for public education. Requirements for zoos include meeting the biological needs of animals and contributing to conservation, education and research.

In the European Union, the Zoos Directive was adopted in 1999. Although all EU Member States have transposed the Zoos Directive, it has still not been (fully) enforced by all Member States, even years after coming into force. This is due to local authorities implementing the national zoo legislation in their countries at their own discretion. Frequently, the know-how is lacking and professional development opportunities are not offered to zoo staff. This has already led to many zoos in certain countries losing their licenses to keep wild animals such as bears, lions and tigers. Some zoos have been closed for years while the animals are still there, suffering. Other zoos remain open, operating without a license, or have even been granted a license despite not fulfilling the requirements.

An example of how a zoo should not look like

What you can do

  • Do research before you visit a zoo: Avoid zoos with poor keeping conditions, wild animal interactions or uncontrolled breeding
  • Consider how animals experience the zoo: For you it is a day visit, for them it is a lifetime
  • Inform yourself: Check the education and conservation value that the zoo provides
  • Do not support animal abuse: Never take part in wild animal photo or petting opportunities
  • Report: Complain about inadequate keeping conditions directly to the zoo management and the responsible (local) authorities
  • Continue to support the animals: Be informed about projects to protect wild animal species in their home countries and support them

Source: FOUR PAWS

Can You Help Protect What Pangolins Need Most?

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Pangolins

Can You Help Protect What Pangolins Need Most?

You’ve seen how protected areas make survival possible – now help safeguard them. Your support enables the conservation of large landscapes that sustain Africa’s most threatened species.

As a thank you, you’ll receive exclusive early access to our short film – a rare glimpse into our efforts to conserve pangolins in partnership with the Tikki Hywood Foundation.

GET EARLY ACCESS TO OUR FILM

If you haven’t watched the previews, click here to catch up now. 

Source: African Parks

Urgent Interim Order Obtained Against Daybreak to Protect Nearly 600k Starving Birds

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Birds

Urgent Interim Order Obtained Against Daybreak to Protect Nearly 600k Starving Birds

The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has successfully obtained an urgent interim court order from the Gauteng Division of the High Court, Johannesburg, on Saturday, 10 May 2025, compelling Daybreak Foods to immediately cease all inhumane culling practices and to provide adequate, appropriate feed to hundreds of thousands of breeder birds at their facilities.

This urgent application, launched by the NSPCA on Friday, 9 May 2025, follows a catastrophic welfare emergency currently unfolding at two of Daybreak’s breeder farms in Bela-Bela and Mookgopong. An estimated 594,000 birds are at immediate risk of starvation, suffering from cannibalism, injuries, and prolonged neglect due to insufficient feeding and inhumane culling practices.

Daybreak failed to disclose the conditions at these two remote breeder farms, despite being fully aware that similar animal welfare collapses had already occurred at their broiler farms in April and May 2025. This lack of transparency from Daybreak directly delayed the NSPCA’s ability to intervene sooner. We only became aware of the breeder crisis through a whistleblower on 7 May 2025, prompting immediate action. Without this internal tip-off, the suffering of these animals would have remained hidden.

The NSPCA uncovered that Daybreak had deployed untrained casual staff to “kill” compromised breeder birds by violently swinging them by the head – a method both inhumane and illegal. Unlike smaller broiler birds previously involved, breeder birds weigh between 3.5kg and 5kg, rendering standard cervical dislocation methods ineffective and deeply traumatic to the birds.

Birds

Despite previous interventions, Daybreak has failed to take meaningful corrective action. The NSPCA was left with no choice but to turn to the courts for immediate relief. The Order, granted by the High Court, instructs Daybreak to:

  • Immediately stop all inhumane culling methods;
  • Provide adequate, species-appropriate feed for all birds;
  • Cease all breeding and placement of chicks or birds at any affiliated facilities;
  • Provide a timeline and strategy to address and resolve this ongoing crisis.

“This is not just a failure of farming practices – it is a collapse of basic ethical standards,” said Senior Inspector Nazareth Appalsamy. “The breeder birds are not only starving, they are suffering immensely. Daybreak must now comply lawfully, or face contempt of court proceedings.”

The Court also confirmed that the NSPCA has unfettered access to Daybreak’s facilities.

The NSPCA has deployed its entire Inspectorate to the affected breeder sites to alleviate the suffering of compromised birds and ensure that humane interventions are urgently carried out. This deployment is logistically and emotionally taxing, particularly given the sheer number and size of the animals involved.

This crisis places a significant financial burden on the NSPCA. As a non-profit organisation, the cost of mobilising staff, transport, equipment, and resources for an operation of this scale is immense, yet necessary to prevent unimaginable suffering.

Birds

We extend our greatest thanks to Advocate Samantha Martin and Gittins Attorneys for standing with us and the animals in Court, as well as to the Mokopane, Polokwane, and Tshwane SPCAs for assisting in this disaster.

The NSPCA will return to court on 13 May 2025, where Daybreak will need to explain why the relief should not be made final. The NSPCA remains committed to upholding its mandate to protect all animals in South Africa and will continue to monitor Daybreak’s compliance with the Court’s Order.

We urgently appeal to the public and the private sector to support our work by donating here or via EFT to Standard Bank account 220 639 744 (Branch Code: 051 001).

Source: NSPCA

SPCA Leads the Charge for Change to Protect Cape Town’s Working Equines

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SPCA

SPCA Leads the Charge for Change to Protect Cape Town’s Working Equines

In the past six months, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA has intervened in at least six distressing cases of horses and ponies being subjected to extreme cruelty in Cape Town. These heart-breaking incidents highlight a systemic issue of exploitation that demands urgent attention and collective proaction to prevent further suffering.

One of the most shocking cases we encountered occurred in September 2024 in Kensington, where a young pony named Hope was discovered struggling under the weight of an unthinkable load. Hope, weighing just 360 kilograms, was forced to pull a cart loaded with an engineless vehicle and four passengers. The combined weight of the cart and vehicle alone reached a staggering 990 kilograms—nearly three times her own body weight. Hope’s muscles trembled with exertion, and she arrived at the SPCA lame and in distress.

She was the first of 3 to be rescued from exactly the same circumstances.

SPCA

In November 2024, a similar incident occurred on Highlands Drive in Mitchells Plain. Spirit, where a severely underweight stallion weighing only 240 kilograms, was found pulling a cart carrying a broken vehicle that tipped the scales at 980 kilograms. In addition to being overworked, overburdened, and underfed, Spirit’s hooves were also neglected.

Most recently, a third case has come to light, this time involving Lady Grace, a petite and undernourished pony forced to haul a cart along Old Strandfontein Rd in Ottery, yet again loaded with a broken vehicle and weighing more than three times her own weight. Like the others, Lady Grace’s hooves were in dire condition, and she is underweight.

SPCA

Aside from the suffering caused by the heavy loads these ponies were pulling, the neglect they lived with daily was very apparent in their physical condition.

Legal Protections Ignored

All these cases violate Section 2(1)(a) of the Animals Protection Act No. 71 of 1962, which prohibits overloading animals. Convictions under this law carry fines of up to R40,000 or imprisonment of up to 12 months.

Furthermore, the South African National Standards (SANS) for working equines—which establish weight limits to protect the health and welfare of these animals—were blatantly disregarded. Despite their importance, these standards require broader enforcement and awareness to safeguard working animals effectively.

SPCA’s Commitment and Call to Action

Recognising the need for proactive relief, the SPCA engaged with the City of Cape Town on January 15 to discuss meaningful solutions for the welfare of working equines. The meeting was highly positive, with both parties expressing a shared commitment to proactive measures that protect working equines.

As a result, the SPCA is optimistic about future collaboration to develop and implement practical solutions that balance animal welfare and the needs of owners who rely on working animals for their livelihoods.

Key proposals include:

  1. Registration and accountability: Implementing a permitting system ensuring all working equines are registered to facilitate monitoring.
  2. Routine inspections: Conducting regular welfare checks to maintain humane standards.
  3. Education and support: Providing owners with training on proper care, nutrition, and weight limits.
  4. Load regulation: Enforcing weight limits to prevent overloading and safeguard equine health.

A Partnership for Change

The SPCA recognises the challenges facing both the City and working animal owners. We are committed to finding a solution that benefits the welfare of animals and supports sustainable livelihoods.

A reactive approach to cruelty is simply not good enough, we need proactive solutions that prevent a reoccurrence of the suffering that Hope, Spirit and Lady Grace have been subjected to.

Grace Needs You Today

While we work toward systemic change, Grace needs your help right now. Her recovery requires a special diet of oat hay, lucerne, and supplements to rebuild her strength. She also needs expert care from an equine farrier and dentist—services the SPCA must outsource at considerable expense.

SPCA

You Saved Hope and Spirit—Will You Rescue Lady Grace?

Thanks to your generosity, Hope and Spirit now live healthy, happy lives. Lady Grace’s story can only have the same ending with your support. 

Source: Cape of Good Hope SPCA 

Correctly remove ticks

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ticks

Correctly remove ticks

Due to the mild weather, ticks are now active almost all year round

The small arachnids love our dogs and cats as a source of food but they can transmit dangerous pathogens such as borreliosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and TBE. In order to protect our pets, the tick should be removed as soon as it is discovered as these diseases can have fatal consequences. Not only does time play an important role in removing ticks, but also the aids you use.

Necessary aids
Before the tick is removed, the following aids should be available:

  • Tip Tweezers
  • Disposable gloves
  • Disinfectants
  • Treats

Gloves as a protective measure
Disposable gloves provide good protection against pathogens carried by ticks, which can enter the human bloodstream through injured skin.

Soothe dog and cat
In order to remove the tick quickly, the infected animal must remain calm. This is easier said than done as it’s not always easy to keep dogs and cats still, especially when they are subjected to an unusual ‘intervention’. Ideally, a second person should be present to help keep the animal still and calm or distracted with a few treats.

Animals must never be forced to keep still as some may become frightened or react aggressively if they cannot get away. If the animal is not still, there is also the added danger of only removing part of the tick, leaving the remainder under the skin.

Applying tweezers correctly
Tweezers with fine tips are recommended when removing ticks. They should be applied as close as possible to the animal’s skin without crushing it. The closer the tip of the tweezer is to the skin, the greater the chance of being able to pull out the entire tick.

Remove tick
The parasite must be fixed with an even pressure but do not squeeze the tick as this may cause it to release its infectious saliva into the dog or cat. Jerking or pulling out the tick, or – as was common in the past – twisting the tick, can be counterproductive as it may leave the head or mouthpiece (the proboscis) in the animal’s skin. It is better to pull the tick straight and upwards with a slow, even movement. A look at the area will show whether it has been completely removed. If part of the tick is still visible in the animal’s skin, a veterinarian should be consulted to remove the rest immediately.

Disinfecting the bite site
The bite site should be treated with a disinfectant recommended by the veterinarian for such purposes. Keepers must keep an eye on the affected area and on their animal. If the skin remains reddened and inflammation develops at the site, the animal must be seen by a veterinarian, especially if the affected dog or cat shows symptoms such as fever, fatigue or swollen lymph nodes, etc. Please ensure you dispose of the tick correctly by putting it in a sealed container and placing it in a suitable bin.

Protecting your own animal      
Measures should be taken to protect dogs and cats from tick bites; a veterinarian will be able to discuss which protection is most suitable for the individual animal.

Source: FOUR PAWS

Ground-breaking litigation launched to protect the African Penguin from extinction

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protect

Ground-breaking litigation launched to protect the African Penguin from extinction

The African Penguin has lost 97% of its population. If current trends persist, the species will be extinct in the wild by 2035. 

On 19 March 2024, the Biodiversity Law Centre, representing BirdLife South Africa and the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), initiated landmark litigation in the Pretoria High Court in the interests of Africa’s only penguin species: the Endangered African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus).  

Instituted against the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, the applicants’ challenge seeks the review and setting aside of the Minister’s 4 August 2023 decision on the closures to fishing around key African Penguin breeding colonies, instead of biologically meaningful closures.

The African Penguin faces extinction in the wild by 2035 if more is not done to curb the current rate of population decline. The crisis is driven primarily by their lack of access to prey, for which they must compete with the commercial purse-seine fishery which continues to catch sardine and anchovy in the waters surrounding the six largest African Penguin breeding colonies. Critically, these six colonies are home to an estimated 90% of South Africa’s African Penguins.

Ground-breaking

Kate Handley, Executive Director of the Biodiversity Law Centre, says: “This is the first litigation in South Africa invoking the Minister’s constitutional obligation to prevent extinction of an endangered species. It follows her failure – since at least 2018 – to implement biologically meaningful closures around African Penguin breeding areas, despite scientific evidence that such closures improve the species access to their critical sardine and anchovy food source, thereby contributing toward arresting the decline of the African Penguin.”

The Minister has statutory and constitutional obligations to ensure that necessary measures are put in place to prevent the African Penguin’s extinction. “The Minister has failed to fulfil these obligations to African Penguins, South Africans, the international community, and future generations. It is for this reason that we are taking her office to court,” Handley explains.

For more than six years, the Minister has placed her preference for a consensus-driven solution above her obligation to ensure the survival of the Endangered African Penguin. All the while, the African Penguin population has suffered an alarming decline of 8% per year on her watch.

Dr Alistair McInnes, Seabird Conservation Manager at BirdLife South Africa, says: “The African Penguin’s survival depends on the right decision being taken now. African Penguins at breeding colonies need access to food. Our challenge seeks to have the Minister take science-based decisions that are grounded on the internationally recognised and constitutionally enshrined precautionary principle. This is something that the Minister has consistently failed to do since 2018, notwithstanding having called multiple reviews.”

The impugned decision

The core of the applicants’ complaint against the Minister is her failure to implement biologically meaningful closures around African Penguin breeding areas. Instead, on 4 August 2023, she announced the continuation of inadequate “interim closures” around breeding colonies at Dassen Island, Robben Island, Stony Point, Dyer Island, St. Croix Island and Bird Island. These closures were first imposed in September 2022 while an international panel of experts extensively reviewed the science collected since 2008 as part of an Island Closure Experiment (ICE).

The panel recommended that closures of sardine and anchovy fishing grounds to commercial small pelagic fisheries around six main breeding colonies was an appropriate and necessary conservation intervention with demonstrable benefits to African Penguin populations. It also provided a method for determining the appropriate island delineations which would seek to optimise benefits of closures to African Penguins, while minimising costs to the small-pelagic purse-seine industry. In doing so, it put an end to scientific debates on how to determine closure delineations and also confirmed the appropriate method for determining African Penguins’ preferred foraging range.

The Panel’s recommendations were provided to the Minister in July 2023 with the express purpose of enabling the Minister to take definitive, science-based decisions regarding island closures after years of indecision and debate. During this time, in 2023, the species fell below the 10,000 breeding pairs mark for the first time in history. On 4 August 2023, the Minister announced her decision.

Dr Katta Ludynia, Research Manager at SANCCOB, says:

“The Minister was selective about which recommendations she followed. Inexplicably, she failed to follow the critical recommendation regarding how closures should be delineated. Instead, the Minister decided to extend the meaningless interim closures, unless agreement between the conservation sector and the fishing industry could be reached on an alternative.

The African Penguin population in South Africa has plummeted from 27,151 breeding pairs in 2008, when the ICE commenced, to 15,187 breeding pairs when the results of the experiment were first published and peer-reviewed in 2018, and now to only an estimated 8,750 breeding pairs. The Minister has unfortunately failed to act. Biologically meaningless closures are now in place until December 2033 – just more than a year from the possible extinction date of 2035.”

An irrational and unlawful decision

The applicants argue that this approach was patently irrational. First, it is unclear why certain recommendations should be followed but not others.  Second, and critically, the interim closures themselves are incapable of meeting the purpose of closures, namely to reduce competition between African Penguins and the purse-seine commercial fishing industry for sardines and anchovies. “Moreover, the notion that an alternative set of closures could be delineated by agreement between conservationists and industry defeats the purpose of the panel, which was initiated to end many rounds of disagreement between these stakeholder groups and the various conservation and fisheries focused branches of the DFFE,” says McInnes.

According to Handley, the Minister has also acted unlawfully. She says: “The Constitution and legislative scheme give rise to a duty to implement urgent measures to prevent the impending extinction of the African Penguin. These include the imposition of fishing closures which limit purse-seine anchovy and sardine fishing activities. Despite this clear obligation, the Minister has consistently failed to implement such closures.”

The applicants are asking the court to ensure that a set of meaningful closures identified using the recommendations of the panel are imposed around all six islands.  The Minister has had ample opportunity to do so, and a court faced with the evidence the applicants are placing before it will be in as good a position as the Minister to ensure the necessary conservation actions are urgently implemented. 

What are we doing about this crisis?

Handley says: “The review application is a watershed, and potentially precedent-setting case, as it stands to give content to the South African government’s obligation to protect Endangered species and, particularly in this instance, the African Penguin. It also takes a stance on the role of science-led decision-making in ensuring that future generations have their environment, and the well-being of an endangered species, protected.”

About the applicants

  • BirdLife South Africa is a non-profit organisation whose vision is a country and region where nature and people live in greater harmony, more equitably and more sustainably, while its mission is to conserve birds, their habitats and biodiversity through, inter alia, scientifically-based programmes and supporting the sustainable and equitable use of natural resources. BirdLife South Africa actively works towards the conservation of African Penguins through its Seabird Conservation Programme.
  • SANCCOB is registered as a non-profit company, non-profit organisation and public benefit organisation in terms of the laws of South Africa, operating from two facilities in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape. SANCCOB’s primary objective is to reverse the decline of seabird populations – flagship species being the endangered African penguin – through a multi-faceted conservation approach that includes rehabilitation and release of seabirds, implementation and consultancy of preparedness and response in the event of oil spills affecting marine wildlife, carrying out integral scientific research, provision of in-situ support to conservation managing authorities, skills development, and public awareness via environmental education.

About the Biodiversity Law Centre

  • The Biodiversity Law Centre is a non-profit organisation that seeks to use the law to protect and restore indigenous species and ecosystems in Southern Africa. As part of its Oceans and Coasts Programme, the Centre is committed to protecting African Penguin populations by addressing the key drivers of the species’ decline, including competition with small pelagic fisheries, and ship-to-ship bunkering in Algoa Bay.

Source: SANCCOB