The African Penguin is Critically Endangered and may vanish from the wild in 2035 due to severe food shortages caused by climate change and commercial fishing. With fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs left, current conservation efforts are falling short. Penguins struggle to compete with fisheries for sardines and anchovies, their main food sources. These birds are vital for marine ecosystems and local ecotourism. The Save African Penguin campaign created social pressure to ensure the South African government agreed to implement closures to commercial fishing around six of the last major African Penguin breeding colonies.