Antarctic penguins under pressure
09 Oct 2008
Half to three-quarters of major Antarctic penguin colonies face severe decline or extinction if global temperatures are allowed to climb by more than 2°C, according to a report released today by WWF.
The report , titled '2°C is Too Much', reveals that 50 per cent of Antarctica's iconic Emperor penguins and 75 per cent of its Ade'lie penguin colonies are under threat.
Climate change models forecast that a 2°C temperature rise – widely regarded as the threshold for dangerous climate change - could be a reality in less than 40 years, producing a strong reduction in the sea ice cover of the Southern Ocean. Many recent climate models forecast likely temperature rises in excess of this.
"Climate change is causing irrevocable damage to the ecology of the Antarctic. Rising temperatures means sea ice levels will drop dramatically, devastating the penguins' nesting and feeding grounds," said Rob Nicoll, head of WWF-Australia's Antarctic and Southern Oceans Initiative.
"A reduction in the sea ice is also likely to have a knock-on effect on the abundance of krill, which is a vital food source for these animals.
"Our modelling shows that iconic species such as the Emperor and Adélie penguin, which are the only penguins to breed on the Antarctic continent, could be put under threat of extinction by as early as 2070."
The release of WWF's report comes in the lead up to the annual Convention on the Conservation of Antarctica Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) which will meet in Hobart at the end of October. CCAMLR will bring together scientists and policy makers from all over the world to discuss the conservation and management of the Antarctic environment and its wildlife.
WWF-Australia is calling for all nations to work together to agree on a new global deal that will succeed the Kyoto Protocol and tackle climate change beyond 2012, and for CCAMLR to designate networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) throughout the Southern Ocean.
"Implementing networks of Marine Protected Areas will allow Antarctic species under pressure from climate change to adapt, improving their chances of survival. It will also protect economically valuable finfish fisheries in the region and krill which forms the basis of the Antarctic food web," said Rob Nicoll.
"The predicted threat to the Emperor and Adélie penguin populations is a clear incentive for the world to agree on a set of precautionary management measures that will better protect these animals.
"It is imperative that the international community analyses all possible ways to limit climate change and improve the resilience of these iconic Antarctic species."
Notes to editors:
WWF's report is based on the scientific study conducted by David Ainley, Joellen Russell and Stephanie Jenouvrier: "The fate of Antarctic penguins when Earth's tropospheric temperature reaches 2°C above pre-industrial levels". Both WWF's report and the scientific study can be downloaded at: www.panda.org/antarctica
More information
Jonathon Larkin, WWF Press Office
Mobile: 0410 221 410
Email: jlarkin@wwf.org.au
