Photo: J Kemper
Causes of food scarcity for Namibia's seabirds:
- Overfishing of anchovy and sardine populations by commercial fisheries: African Penguin, Cape Gannet and Cape Cormorant. Food scarcity was a major driver of recent large decreases of these species, which led to all being listed by the IUCN as Endangered
- Overfishing of rock lobster: Bank Cormorant, also listed by the IUCN as Endangered
- Changes in ocean temperature and currents affecting the distribution of fish populations
- Competition with commercial and subsistence fishing operations
- Coastal development and pollution reducing the availability of breeding and feeding habitats
Effects of food scarcity for Namibia's seabirds:
- Decline in seabird populations
- Altered trophic dynamics in the ecosystem
- Decreased reproductive success and survival rates in seabirds
- Shifts in distribution and migration patterns of seabirds
- Negative impacts on the ecosystem services provided by seabirds, such as nutrient cycling and pest control.
» Read about the NAMCOB Project to Improve Food Availability.
