On 23 June 2000, the MV Treasure sank 9.7km off the coast of South Africa, close to the world’s largest breeding colonies of African penguins at that time, Robben Island and Dassen Island.
The cargo vessel was carrying iron ore from China and was making its way to Brazil when it suffered structural damage, due to severe weather, which resulted in a hole occurring in the ship's hull. An attempt to tug the vessel to the harbour proved impossible due to its sheer size, and the decision was made to move it further away from the shore to reduce the environmental impact. Unfortunately, the weather conditions remained dangerous, and the rough sea caused the ship to sink completely, spilling over 13,000 tons of bunker fuel into the water.
Twenty-five years after this major incident, which resulted in the contamination of 19,000 African penguins and one of the largest oiled wildlife response efforts in history, we reflect on the historic and unprecedented international effort to save tens of thousands of African penguins. We also explore the concerning decline in the African penguin population today and the efforts underway to reverse this. Finally, we look at how wildlife response has changed since then and how prepared we are today.
A Rescue effort of unprecedented scale
The response to the spill was impressive, in both its urgency and in its sheer scope. In total, more than 38,000 African penguins were captured in a dual effort to safeguard their survival. Approximately 19,000 birds that had been affected by the spill were transported to Cape Town for rehabilitation, while a further 19,500 un-oiled penguins were pre-emptively evacuated to further prevent contamination. These un-oiled birds were carefully relocated 800 km up the coastline to Cape Recife, near Gqeberha, where they could swim back home safely once the waters around Cape Town had been cleared of oil. Remarkably, many of them did exactly that, returning to their native colonies within just a month.
This large-scale operation became one of the biggest seabird rescue missions ever recorded, and was made possible through the unwavering commitment of thousands of volunteers and global wildlife responders. It was tiered response in action. Key international partners, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and International Bird Rescue (IBR), joined forces with local experts to coordinate the mission. The initial response was spearheaded by SANCCOB (the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds), in collaboration with local authorities. A disused warehouse was rapidly converted into a fully operational rehabilitation centre to treat the affected birds.
Over a 12-week period, the centre became a hive of activity. At its peak, more than 50 trained responders and 500 volunteers worked daily to clean, feed, hydrate, and condition the penguins for release back into the wild.
Several factors reinforced the success of this complex operation. SANCCOB, operating as a Tier 2 national specialist in seabird response, brought crucial local capacity and deep experience, particularly from the earlier Apollo Sea spill in 1994. Strategic preparedness enabled rapid and safe relocation, such as having ventilated transport boxes on standby.
Strong partnerships were equally vital. CapeNature, the Western Cape’s biodiversity authority, coordinated closely with SANCCOB, while the public’s engagement through a structured volunteer programme proved essential to managing the intense logistical demands.
Recognising the scale early on, SANCCOB issued an international call for assistance. The result was a globally integrated effort, and a clear example of what was possible when preparedness, community, and global expertise unite to protect vulnerable wildlife. Realising the potential scale of the incident, SANCCOB also reached out to request international assistance, which allowed local expertise to be augmented by experts from around the world, led by IFAW and U.S.-based International Bird Rescue.
Current Status of the African Penguin 2025
In October 2024, the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) was uplisted from "Endangered" to "Critically Endangered" on the IUCN Red List, indicating an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
The global population has plummeted by approximately 97% from historical levels. In South Africa, the number of breeding pairs decreased from around 15,187 in 2018 to approximately 8,750 by the end of 2023. Some colonies, such as Stony Point, experienced a nearly 50% decline between 2023 and 2024, dropping to under 680 breeding pairs.
Ongoing Threats
The African penguin faces multiple threats contributing to its decline.
• Food Scarcity: Overfishing of sardines and anchovies, the penguin's primary food sources, has led to significant food shortages.
• Environmental Hazards: Oil spills increased maritime traffic, and offshore fuel bunkering pose substantial risks to penguin habitats.
• Climate Change: Rising sea temperatures and changing ocean currents affect fish distribution, further impacting food availability.
Conservation Efforts
In response to the alarming situation, several conservation measures have been implemented:
In March 2025, a landmark court ruling established 10-year no-fishing zones around six critical breeding colonies, including Robben Island and Bird Island. These zones aim to reduce competition for food and allow penguin populations to recover.
Organisations like SANCCOB and BirdLife South Africa continue to monitor penguin populations, conduct research, and rehabilitate injured or oiled birds.
Campaigns and educational programs have been launched to raise awareness about the penguin's plight and gain public support for conservation initiatives.
Wildlife response preparedness 25 years on
Since the MV Treasure spill in 2000, the field of oiled wildlife response has undergone a significant transformation. What was once a largely volunteer-driven endeavour has matured into a professional, science-based discipline thanks to the efforts of leading wildlife response organisations from around the world, including OSRL’s long-term wildlife response partner Sea Alarm. Many of these organisations have come together over the years at different editions of the Effects of Oil on Wildlife Conference to further their cooperation and to share advancements in the field.
Another major milestone came in 2015 when IPIECA formally recognized wildlife response as a core component of industry’s oil spill preparedness by integrating it into the Tiered Preparedness and Response (TPR) model. This acknowledgment helped elevate the importance of wildlife protection in incident planning and response.
The professionalisation of wildlife response has brought with it a stronger foundation in animal welfare principles, scientific research, and structured training. International collaboration has also flourished, with industry-funded initiatives like the Global Oiled Wildlife Response System (GOWRS) enhancing global readiness and coordination. Wildlife protection is also more strategically integrated into incident management systems in some countries, ensuring that response strategies prioritize preventing oiling and enabling rapid intervention when spills occur.
Despite these advancements, several critical challenges remain. Many countries still lack formal wildlife response plans or the capacity to implement them effectively. Funding instability continues to threaten the sustainability of leading wildlife response organizations, many of which rely on donations and grants. As experienced responders retire, the risk of skill fade grows, further weakening preparedness.
Moreover, there is often a gap between written plans and real-world capability. Investments in equipment, training, and stakeholder coordination are still needed to bridge this divide. Cultural and policy barriers in some regions, coupled with socio-economic constraints, hinder the prioritization of wildlife protection. Meanwhile, public expectations for wildlife protection during oil spills continue to rise, often outpacing the actual level of preparedness on the ground.
Outlook
Despite these efforts, the African penguin's future remains uncertain. Without continued and enhanced conservation actions, the species faces the possibility of extinction in the wild by 2035. Ongoing collaboration between governments, conservation organisations, and the public is crucial to reversing the decline and ensuring the survival of this iconic species.
While the ideal scenario is to prevent any oil spills from occurring, the reality is that accidents happen. We, along with our wildlife response partners, are committed to supporting effective tiered response in the event of an oil spill. Critically, these efforts also require plan holders to ensure that wildlife response plans are in place and that responders are able to train and exercise together regularly to ensure response capability is in place and that we are ready to mount an effective response to wildlife emergencies in the future.
