New hatchery for endangered penguins

NEED

During the 1930s, about 1.5 million adult African penguins lived along the coast of Southern Africa. Since then, human activity has reduced their number by a staggering 90%. The African penguin has just been reclassified endangered on the IUCN Red Data List. Together with over a dozen other sea bird species, they are under considerable threat. Population decline is largely due to environmental fluctuations, food shortages, oiling at sea, loss of habitat, predation and human interference.

OVERVIEW

SANCCOB (the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) aims to conserve and protect South Africa's sea birds, especially threatened species, for the benefit of present and future generations. They strive to reverse the decline in sea bird populations through rescue, rehabilitation and release of oiled, ill and injured sea birds. Research conducted by the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town shows that the African penguin population is 19% higher due to the efforts of SANCCOB than it would be in the absence their rehabilitation efforts.

Evidence from recent research suggests that the introduction of hand-reared chicks has a significant impact on conserving wild populations (Barham et al.2008). The Chick Bolstering Project, administered by SANCCOB, and implemented together with international and local zoos, universities and conservation management bodies works towards this objective.

SANCCOB plans to upgrade their existing chick-rearing facility to include a hatchery where they can develop local expertise to hatch African penguin eggs and to hand-rear chicks. This is a necessary and pro-active step towards addressing the declining wild populations of the recently re-classified endangered African penguin species and other vulnerable seabirds.

WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THIS PROJECT

• This project forms part of a holistic intervention to increase the population of endangered sea birds
• The organisation has proven itself as a model of best practice for seabird rehabilitation.
• The organisation collaborates with international and local organisations that are recognised leaders in wildlife and conservation research.

IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS

An investment of R184,643.25 will cover 35 percent of the budget for the upgrading of the chick rearing facility to house the new hatchery.

The upgraded facility will be used to rear orphaned chicks and to hatch eggs sourced from conservation partners.

ORGANISATIONAL CAPACITY

SANCCOB has successfully rescued and rehabilitated 86 000 sea birds since 1968 and in the absence of a major oil spill or catastrophic natural disaster, SANCCOB treats approximately 1000 African penguins and 1000 other sea birds every year.

SANCCOB’s reputation for success both locally and internationally has won them recognition as a rehabilitation partner during oil spills by the South African government. In addition, SANCCOB has developed internationally recognised standards for the management and care of captive sea birds based on their own experience.

SANCCOB has a dynamic management team of four with a good working knowledge of each other's portfolios. They also employ a full-time veterinarian and researcher.

RISK PROFILE

Key Strengths

• Concept: The upgrade of the existing facilities will allow SANCCOB to improve their capacity to increase the population of African penguins.
• Design: This is a collaborative project between SANCCOB and local and international experts in the field. This gives the organisation easy access to relevant expertise, which will allow them to constantly improve their intervention.
• Capability: SANCCOB has extensive experience in hand-rearing and releasing seabird chicks.
• Control: The project is based on international best practice and will be implemented in collaboration with various experienced industry leaders from South Africa and abroad. SANCCOB has made various financial investments to ensure their future financial sustainability is not completely dependent on external donors.
• Sustainability: Although the project depends heavily on the input from international stakeholders, the project is designed to ensure skills transfer and will therefore develop local skills in the hatching of African penguins, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Key Risks - Low

• Sustainability: The hatchery will require extended hours of work due to the volatility of very small chicks. These extended hours combined with the emotional strain involved in this type of work could result in staff burn-out. This risk is mitigated by the constant availability of volunteers to provide assistance.
• External: Some of the work relies on external contractors, and it is possible that these costs might escalate. SANCCOB has however indicated that they will continue with the renovations regardless of any price increases.

Project Profile EC-WC-MAR10-0001

Organisation: SANCCOB

Sector: Environment and Conservation

Project Duration: 12 months

Project Budget: ZAR 207 700

Shares Issued: 4154

Shares Available: 2409

Risk Assessment (0 to 5)

Concept: 0.5

Design: 0.5

Capability: 1

Control: 0.8

Sustainability: 0.8

External: 1

Organisation Rating (0 to 5)

Purpose: 4

Planning: 4

Performance: 0

Resources: 4

Governance: 4

Sustainability: 4

Project Budget

Project Sector

Environment and Conservation

South Africa faces major environmental challenges in the 21st century including threats posed to the health of humans and other species by pollution and waste; and threats to biodiversity from alien invasive species (which also cause water loss), habitat transformation, climate change; and the overexploitation of resources. South Africa is the third most biologically diverse country in the world, but has the highest known concentration of threatened plants and the highest extinction estimates for any region in the world. Although environmental management is supported by a suite of legislation, policy and statutory bodies, implementation remains a challenge. Constraints include insufficient skills, expertise and funding; the fragmentation of the legal and institutional arrangements; the inadequate integration of biodiversity considerations into sectoral and land-use planning; and weak political commitment.

The environment also suffers from a perception that it is a white, middle-class issue focused on nature conservation, and not relevant to the urgent needs of the country for development and social justice. Conservation was associated in the past with protected areas that served a privileged elite and restricted access to natural resources, often involving the forced relocation of black communities. There is also a lack of public understanding of the social and economic benefits provided by environmental resources, for example, that preserving wetlands intact provides natural flood and erosion control and water purification, as well as recreational benefits. Role-players in the different spheres of government today must make difficult trade-offs in land use planning between the preservation of ecologically sensitive areas and the expansion of housing and industrial/commercial development.

Opportunities exist for investment in creative, people-centered environment and conservation programmes run by non-governmental and community-based organisations that: develop local leadership capacity for conservation action that demonstrates and provides access to the practical benefits of conservation, particularly in impoverished areas; empower communities to generate livelihoods through viable projects in organic food growing, community-based conservation and co-management, nature-based tourism and sustainable harvesting of natural resources; involve schools and communities in greening programmes with water-wise indigenous plant species; and mainstream conservation activities into existing development and environmental planning initiatives, enlisting political commitment and leadership, and providing legislators, courts and conservation managers with tangible conservation data.

---

SASIX Evaluation Metrics

The organisational rating

In partnership, Trialogue and The Funding Site developed an expert organisational capacity diagnostic test, which has been further refined by GreaterGood South Africa based on its consultations with Geneva Global and others active in this area. The result is a comprehensive evaluation and verification tool that GreaterGood South Africa uses to assess the capacity of non profit organisations according to both qualitative and quantitative metrics. The tool encompasses the purpose, strategy, performance, resources, governance and sustainability of the organisation and its activities. GreaterGood South Africa project managers are employed in the field to conduct the evaluations with the organisations implementing SASIX projects. The results of their findings are assessed through a peer review process, and then coalesced into the organisational ratings presented on the front page of each SASIX Project Profile.

The project risk assessment

In consultation with Geneva Global, GreaterGood South Africa uses a comprehensive risk assessment tool to evaluate target projects - a tool that encompasses the project's concept, design, capability, control, sustainability and external factors that will or may affect the successful implementation of the project. At the completion of the project, GreaterGood South Africa will issue a Project Performance Report that compares the actual life change with the expected life change forecasted on the front page of this profile. This report will also include the key lessons learned.

GreaterGood South Africa Services

Project identification - Through wide, expert consultation and screening processes, GreaterGood South Africa identifies top South African non profit programmes that address the greatest development needs in the country.

Site visits - In order to become a recommended SASIX project, GreaterGood South Africa's project managers must have seen the project first-hand and undertaken the necessary evaluation interviews with the project's implementer(s).

Desk research - International best practices and other references are used as benchmarks to measure the projects.

Peer review - Information gathered and project profiles are assessed through a peer review process.

Deal structure - GreaterGood South Africa's project managers work closely with the project implementers to establish the parameters with regard to the expected results, time-frames, monitoring processes, use of funds, budget and final evaluation.

When you invest in a SASIX project, GreaterGood SA will:

Document the agreement - Before funding is supplied to a project, GreaterGood South Africa concludes a Memorandum of Agreement with the organisation which covers expected results, timelines, reporting frameworks and acceptable uses of funds.

Assist with funds transfers - GreaterGood South Africa will assist with the necessary transfers of funds, according to the funder's requirements.

Obtain receipt of funds - GreaterGood South Africa confirms when the funds arrive with the project implementer.

Check progress - At around 3 months, GreaterGood South Africa confirms that the project is proceeding according to plan. The project managers are available to project implementers for advice and consultation on an ongoing basis.

Measure results - After the conclusion of the project, GreaterGood South Africa collects the necessary data and compiles a Project Performance Report which includes an analysis of the outcomes and the lessons learned. Each funder of every SASIX project receives the report.

---

To fund this project

Please contact: SASIX
Tel + 27 21 794 0580
Fax: 27 21 794 2239
Email: sasix@ggsa.co.za

Postal address: Postnet Suite 293, Private Bag X16, Constantia 7848, South Africa