Sustainable Management of Forage Fish

What We Do & Why We Do It

Integrating threatened seabird needs into fisheries management

African Penguins, Cape Cormorants and Cape Gannets are all threatened species that are endemic to the Benguela Upwelling Ecosystem. They predominantly prey on small schooling fish, such as anchovy and sardine that are also targeted by the largest fishery by volume extracted in South Africa, the purse-seine fishery. The determination of how much of this fish is allocated to the fishery and where these catches are permitted has a direct bearing on the survival of Benguela seabirds that forage on this prey. This project focuses on using information from our research and monitoring projects to advocate for catch allocations and fisheries management systems that are aligned to the prey needs of these threatened species.

How We Do It

The South African government’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) mediates where and how much small pelagic fish, such as anchovy and sardine, are caught through two key mechanisms.
No-take zones, such as the recently promulgated fishing exclusions around six important African Penguin colonies, protect Critically Endangered African Penguins and Endangered Cape Cormorants during their respective breeding seasons. Our team played a key role in securing these closures for a minimum of 10 years, following a court settlement between BirdLife South Africa, SANCCOB and the fishing industry in March 2025.
Catch allocations depend on the management procedures employed by the DFFE Fisheries Management branch. Our team and partners are currently advocating for more sustainable catch allocations aligned to an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management.