Resources
Angolan island paradise for Cape Cormorants
Blog post on Conservation Namibia by By Gail C. Potgieter, 9th August 2019.
Take a close look at the image. Each black dot is a Cape Cormorant (see below) as seen from a light aircraft. Can you count the cormorants? This aerial view of a colony of Cape Cormorants is a composite of several of the thousands of images taken during a 2017 survey of Ilha dos Tigres, an island off the coast of Angola. The purpose of this survey was to document all visible animals using this island, so every dot…
Avian Influenza H5N8 Outbreak in African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus), Namibia, 2019
In January 2019, high mortalities were reported among African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus) in a breeding colony on Halifax Island, Namibia, Africa. Analysis of samples by reverse transcription quantitative PCR indicated the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N8. Sequence analysis of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes confirmed the presence of the virus in the birds and its high similarity to HPAI subtype H5N8 identified in South Africa in 2017. There have been no previous reports of HPAI H5N8 in Namibia.
Bycatch in fishing is a significant cause of seabird mortality in Namibia
By-catch in industrial fishing is a significant cause of mortality of seabirds and is thought to be one of the main reasons for the decline of albatrosses. Of 22 species of albatross, fifteen species are threatened with extinction. The birds get hooked on lines dragged behind longline fishing vessels and drown; they also collide with cables and become entangled in the nets of trawlers. Effective mitigation methods do, however, exist. Since 2015, Namibia's hake demersal-trawl and longline fisheries have been required by law to use bird-scaring lines – colourful streamers that move and scare…
Factors determining the number of seabirds impacted by oil spills and the success of their rehabilitation: lessons learned from Namibia and South Africa
Vanstreels RET, Parsons NJ, Sherley RB et al. 2023. Factors determining the number of seabirds impacted by oil spills and the success of their rehabilitation: Lessons learned from Namibia and South Africa. Marine Pollution Bulletin 188.
The coastal waters of Namibia and South Africa have an extensive history of oil spills, with 71 recorded up to 2021. Thirty-nine spills reportedly affected 83,224 seabirds, with African penguins (Spheniscus demersus; 91.0 %) and Cape gannets (Morus capensis; 8.5 %) most affected. Spills affecting seabirds were…
Food limitation of seabirds in the Benguela ecosystem and management of their prey base
Crawford RJM, Sydeman WJ, Tom DB, Thayer JA, Sherley RB, Shannon LJ, McInnes AM, Makhado AB, Hagen C, Furness RW, Carpenter-Kling T & Saraux C (2022) Food limitation of seabirds in the Benguela ecosystem and management of their prey base. Namibian Journal of Environment 6 A: 1-13.
Abstract: Four of seven seabirds that are endemic to the Benguela ecosystem (African Penguin Spheniscus demersus, Cape Gannet Morus capensis, Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis, Bank Cormorant P. neglectus) compete with fisheries for prey and…
Foraging behaviour of Bank Cormorants in Namibia: implications for conservation
Ludynia K, Jones R, Kemper J, Garthe S, Underhill LG 2010. Foraging behaviour of bank cormorants in Namibia: Implications for conservation. Endangered Species Research 12: 1.
We studied the foraging and diving behaviour of male bank cormorants Phalacrocorax neglectus at Mercury Island, Namibia, during the 2007-2008 breeding season. The island hosts the world's largest breeding colony of this endangered species. Population numbers are currently stable at Mercury Island, whereas numbers at other colonies in Namibia are decreasing, including those at formerly…
Gliding into a brighter future: albatrosses and Namibian fisheries
Blog post in Conservation Namibia by Gail C. Thomson with Titus Shaanika, Samantha Matjila and John Paterson, 9th September 2021.
A fluffy little albatross chick is born on Gough Island in the Tristan da Cunha archipelago far off the African coastline in the southern Atlantic Ocean. With a large body, tiny wings and webbed feet, he doesn't exactly look like one of the most graceful birds on the planet. Yet, under the care of both parents that bring back fresh…
Have we learned anything from Fishrot?
Blog post on Conservation Namibia by By Dr. Chris Brown, 21st March 2022.
The Fishrot scandal, resulting in two ministers, the CEO of a state-owned enterprise, the MD of a prominent investment firm and two associated businessmen now under lock and key at tax-payers expense, tells us far more than that some prominent individuals were profoundly corrupt and self-serving. It tells us that governance systems failed in the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), and indeed across…
Metapopulation tracking juvenile penguins reveals an ecosystem-wide ecological trap
Sherley R, Ludynia K & Dyer B et al. (2017). Metapopulation Tracking Juvenile Penguins Reveals an Ecosystem-wide Ecological Trap. Current Biology 27.
Climate change and fisheries are transforming the oceans, but we lack a complete understanding of their ecological impact. Environmental degradation can cause maladaptive habitat selection, inducing ecological traps with profound consequences for biodiversity. However, whether ecological traps operate in marine systems is unclear. Large marine vertebrates may be vulnerable to ecological traps, but their broad-…
NAMCOB Brochure
Brochure introducing NAMCOB. It outlines our goal, objectives, values and organisational structure and gives an overview of key threats to seabirds; information on emergency disaster response; monitoring, research and action; membership categories and more.
Namibia's Cape Gannet populations have crashed in recent years
Seabirds status – mainly Penguins, Gannets, Cape Cormorants - are the best indicators of the health of the marine pelagic system.
The reasons for the declining sea-bird population is mostly due to a lack in food. The food resource has collapsed due to over-fishing.
Namibia's coast: ocean riches and desert treasures
Robertson A, Jarvis A, Mendelsohn J, Swart R 2012. Namibia's Coast: Ocean Riches and Desert Treasures. Namibia's Coast: Ocean Riches and Desert Treasures.
Rugged, sometimes bleak or forbidding, and largely uninhabited, the Namibian coast is a fascinating and complex mix of richness and paucity. The warm and dry Namib Desert stands in stark contrast to the cold waters of the Benguela current which is so biologically productive. In combination, the ocean and desert provide a harsh and spectacular environment that remains largely pristine.
Namibian Islands' Marine Protected Area
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) recognizes that the unique and fragile marine ecosystem bordering the Namibian coast is a valuable national asset and that all of our marine resources need to be carefully looked after for the benefit of all Namibians now and in future. MFMR is therefore committed to developing and implementing an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF), in order to maintain the health of our marine habitats and to protect and soundly manage our marine resources. The identification and protection of key marine areas therefore forms an important component…
National Marine Pollution Contingency Plan
It is now nearly 10 years since Namibia’s 1st National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) was approved by Cabinet, giving effect to Namibia’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982 and the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation, 1990.
Namibia had to review its marine pollution preparedness and response system in order to make it more responsive to the prevailing risk scenarios and align it to international best practices. This included completely revising the oil-focused NOSCP and renaming it the…
Regulations relating to Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area: Marine Resources Act, 2000
Regulations relating to Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area: Marine Resources Act, 2000
Seabirds of the Benguela ecosystem: utilisation, long-term changes and challenges
Makhado AB, Braby R, Dyer BM, Kemper J, Mcinnes AM, Tom D, Crawford RJM (2021). Seabirds of the Benguela Ecosystem: Utilisation, Long-Term Changes and Challenges. Birds - Challenges and Opportunities for Business, Conservation and Research.
The Benguela Current is used by c. 82 seabird species, of which seven are endemic to it. Eggs and guano of formerly abundant seabirds were heavily harvested in the 19th and 20th centuries but decreases in seabird populations led to cessation of these industries at islands. Guano is still scraped from platforms. Seabird…
Storms and heat limit the nest success of Bank Cormorants
Sherley RB, Ludynia K, Underhill LG, Jones R, Kemper J 2012. Storms and heat limit the nest success of Bank Cormorants: Implications of future climate change for a surface-nesting seabird in southern Africa. Journal of Ornithology 153: 441-455.
The Bank Cormorant Phalacrocorax neglectus is endemic to the Benguela Upwelling System of southern Africa. Most breeding colonies occur on offshore rocks, islands or man-made structures close to the high-water mark. Despite adaptations for breeding close to the water, nests can be lost to storms. Using data from two…
Surviving off junk
Ludynia K, Roux J-P, Kemper J, Underhill LG (2010) Surviving off junk: low energy prey dominates the diet of African penguins Spheniscus demersus at Mercury Island, Namibia, between 1996 and 2009. African Journal of Marine Science 32: 3, 563-572.
The diet of African penguins Spheniscus demersus in Namibia consisted mainly of sardine Sardinops sagax in the 1950s. Since the collapse of pelagic fish stocks in the 1970s, birds fed mainly on bearded (pelagic) goby Sufflogobius bibarbatus, a low-energy prey species. We present diet…
The initial journey of an endangered penguin: implications for seabird conservation
Sherley RB, Ludynia K, Lamont T, Roux JP, Crawford RJM, Underhill LG (2013) The initial journey of an Endangered penguin: implications for seabird conservation. Endang Species Res 21: 89-95.
Seabirds can disperse widely in search of prey, especially during non-breeding periods. Conservation measures predominately focus on protecting breeding colonies, but juvenile survival and recruitment can have critical impacts on population dynamics. We report the first deployment of satellite transmitters to track the dispersal of fledgling African penguins Spheniscus…
The Namibian Islands' Marine Protected Area: using seabird tracking data to define boundaries and assess their adequacy
Ludynia K, Kemper J, Roux J-P 2012. The Namibian Islands' Marine Protected Area: Using seabird tracking data to define boundaries and assess their adequacy. Biological Conservation 156: 136-145.
Marine Protected Areas are important tools for the conservation and management of marine ecosystems, including top predators. The Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area (NIMPA) primarily aims to improve the status of threatened seabird species breeding in Namibia and therefore needed to include all Namibian seabird breeding islands and key foraging areas. For the design of…
The Treasure oil spill – one of the largest animal rescue missions in history
The Treasure Oil Spill – 20 years on. What one of the largest animal rescue missions in history can tell us about wildlife response preparedness.
The MV Treasure oil spill occurred on 23 June 2000, when the ship sank off the coast of South Africa between Dassen and Robben islands. The ship was carrying an estimated 1,300 tons of fuel oil, some of which spilled into the ocean, threatening the African penguin populations living on these islands. Acknowledged as the biggest animal rescue in the world, affecting close to 40,000 seabirds, SANCCOB, its partners and…
Why the Namibian moratorium on sardine fishing must continue
Blog post on Conservation Namibia by Namibian Chamber of Environment, 15th November 2021.
After decades of overfishing combined with environmental changes, Namibia's sardine (pilchard) population finally collapsed. Falling by 99.5% from an estimated 11 million tonnes in the 1960s to a tiny 50,000 tonnes in 2015, this resource has been well and truly exhausted. Despite calls for a moratorium on sardine fishing by scientists since 1995, this was only implemented in 2018 for a…
