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Marine no-take zone rapidly benefits endangered penguin
L Pichegru1, D Grémillet, R J M Crawford
1Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa. lorien.pichegru@uct.ac.za
Biology Letters
|February 12, 2010
Summary
Marine protected areas, or no-take zones, can benefit top predators like African penguins by reducing fishing competition. A small South African no-take zone quickly shifted penguin foraging efforts, demonstrating conservation benefits.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Conservation Science
- Ecology
Background:
- No-take zones (NTZs) aim to protect marine ecosystems and species.
- Their benefits for top predators relying on mobile prey are not fully understood.
- African penguins are marine top predators facing ecological challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of a no-take zone on the foraging behavior of African penguins.
- To determine if small marine protected areas provide immediate benefits to top predators.
Main Methods:
- A 20 km no-take zone was established around the African penguins' largest colony in South Africa.
- Foraging effort of breeding penguins was monitored before and after the fishing ban.
- A control colony 50 km away with open fishing grounds was used for comparison.
Main Results:
- Penguin foraging effort decreased by 30% within three months of the fishing ban.
- Most penguins shifted their foraging to the newly established no-take zone.
- Penguins at the control colony increased their foraging effort during the same period.
Conclusions:
- Small no-take zones can provide immediate benefits to marine top predators by reducing fishing competition.
- No-take zones can be an effective conservation tool, minimizing stakeholder conflict.
- These findings support the use of small protected areas as a conservation strategy.
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