Will ‘Biologically Meaningful’ Island Closures Save the African Penguin?

The South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) and Birdlife South Africa’s media campaign to raise awareness of the plight of the critically endangered African Penguin has been very successful, they say. Many more people, South Africans and internationally, are aware of the importance of the species and the threats it faces. Next month they face the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in the Pretoria High Court which they hope will result in a landmark judgement that benefits the fate of these birds once and for all. Will ‘biologically meaningful’ island closures be enough to save them from extinction?