Thread by @zurcherart

We can't say goodbye to #AfricanPenguins forever. We just can't. #NotOnOurWatch

Will you add your voice to help?

My friend Dean wrote, "We'd love to help, but how?"

Follow this thread. I'll tell you how. But don't wait. We have less than 8 hours left to send 1 email. 🧵🐧🧵

The South African government has proposed a plan aimed at protecting the African Penguins found only in South Africa and Namibia. They are good protections. And we need more.

1st. this thread is for EVERYONE. Anyone can email comments about protecting the #AfricanPenguins.

You do NOT have to be South African to express your gratitude for the proposed plan, and you do NOT have to be in South Africa to ask the government local to the situation for more action to protect #AfricanPenguins. You just have to be good people. Or even bad people.

Heck. For once I'd take help from a seal. If you could trust a seal. (#NoSeals)

2nd. South Africa has admirable record on marine protection and other measures protecting unique abundant ecosystems & endemic species within their borders. They've proposed a good Biodiversity Management Plan for #AfricanPenguin. Before TIME'S UP, we must ask for better!

3rd. The Biodiversity Management Plan for the #AfricanPenguins has been open for public comment for 30 days, which means you have until Sunday, August 21 to comment. (That's just a few more hours as I write this thread.)

(They don't say that they WON'T incorporate comments after August 21 .... but they definitely don't say that they WILL. It can't hurt to write this week anyway.)

Now, let's see if I got this part right.

These conservation plans come up once every 10 years as things work now. It means South Africa is finalising this once-a-decade plan for release as policy in 2023. This plan updates the plan released in 2013. Public comments are due now.

After public comments close today a round of revisions follows. After the final plan is published for 2023 it may be 10 years before this plan to protect #AfricanPenguins comes up again. We have to get it right, after 10 years it may be too late for these penguins. #NotOnOurWatch

I need to pause for a little fact check here: I'm not South African and far too far away from S Africa for my own good right now. What I just told you about the plan is what I've gathered from reading it, and making assumptions. But you know what they say about u&me&assumptions.

Before I show my 🍑 I hope someone like @2OceansAquarium, @eduocean, or @2OceansHelen or another person in the know will chime in to add the context I missed for the items in this 🧵🐧🧵

(I mean correct the parts I got wrong 😊 so we all learn something.)

Ok, after all that, you want to know exactly what you can do to help my penguin friends. That will be good actionable information without assumptions. Keep on reading the 🧵🐧🧵...

But first this fine print:

SA is asking concerned citizens of the world for comments. They think you've actually read the very informative plan and formulated your own opinion. That's why I included the links to do just that—at the bottom of this thread.

My friend Dean wrote, "We'd love to help, but how?"

This is how! To help me help my #AfricanPenguins friends thrive in the future we need you to do this.

1. Start an email
2. The email address is [e-mail]

3. Write your own subject line but include something about "comments on the Draft African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan"

My subject line was "Comments: please add stronger action protecting African Penguins to the draft Biodiversity Mgmt Plan" (but write your own).

4. You are writing to Ms Millicent Makoala. She is a caring, animal-loving conservationist developing and implementing policies for Marine Species and Ecosystems working in the Dept of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment; Oceans and Coasts Branch; Republic of South Africa.

Ms. Makoala is compiling our comments for Barbara Creecy South African Minister of Forestry Fisheries and the Environment.

5. Express gratefulness to Ms Makoala & Ms Creecy & the teams for protecting S Africa's special marine systems. Thank them for this beneficial BMP.

Now you're going to ask for more.

6. You can express your concern that the world has lost over 90% of the African penguin population which has put the birds on the ICUN Red List as an endangered species. Note that prognosis for these birds is hopeful, but only if we take critical actions RIGHT NOW.

(Like Dr Strange I've searched the multiverse for futures having African penguins just 15-20 years from now. There ARE a glorious few. They ALL start with people taking brave action right tf now. If the Avengers won't Assemble, it's on us to mean it when we say #NotOneOurWatch.)

I'm looking ahead. I see that this list has 14 items(!) The next item is the most important action (that's why it's next). Unless you're planning a long response commenting on this plan (can be good) you may want to make note of the items that resonate most to you as you read on.

OK. I'm loquacious, and I trust you to make the best use of this info anyway. 😊

7. You're commenting asking to add more action to the BMP.

I asked local folk #1 action we want to add. They said: Please move quickly & close known areas where penguins forage to human fishing. Strong indicators predict this action gives penguins a fighting chance to survive.

If penguins fish there simply to live, people must fish somewhere else so they don't starve. It's that simple. And I don't think we need a study to know which waters to protect. We have enough data to know. We'll want to monitor the impact *after* we take action. #AdaptiveAction

(Studies from S Africa's success with marine protection also predict that the quality of commercial fishing outside the protected areas will improve—S Africa is one country leading the world in designating MPAs. They give the expected beneficial outcomes and then some. #UNSDG)

Ok. That was the most important thing. Now you have options. And ...

If you know me, you know I'm about to take a little detour here–cause it's what I do.

We'll get back to the numbered list of suggestions for email comments you're writing to save African penguins. But, first I want you to know my personal thoughts on plan we're improving.

My impression is this plan asks "What?" (What's happening with our pings?.)

But it must also ask "So What?" (So what could this mean to us all?).

And "Now What?" (Now what's the next thing to do trying to move into a future that has #AfricanPenguins in it?) #AdaptiveAction

The studies and measures to gather data in the plan are vital, we must work from data and knowledge, but at current birth and mortality rates there simply aren't enough breeding pairs of penguins for the colonies to exist just 15 years from now. Yes that makes me weep real tears.

The penguins just don't have 10 years to wait for us to use the data we're planning to gather.

If we know anything about change (like saving penguins) in Complex Adaptive Systems (and this is definitely one of those), we know observation must be combined with continuous pattern-finding and frequent small actions every step along the way. (What? So what? Now what? repeat)

Now here we are, back on the main road, and it's time to continue our email asking for a better plan to save #AfricanPenguins.

8. In your email you can say we're grateful for the valuable efforts written into the plan to gather data. We are very happy to know there will be new data repositories to draw on. We also need to use the best data we already have now to strengthen penguin colonies.

Aso in my reading, the #AfricanPenguins Biodiversity Management Plan is full of passion, but light on responsibility. The passion means people show up to save the African penguins, but without responsibility the penguins don't get saved (as H. Owen might say). #OST #NotOnOurWatch

9. For every objective we feel the plan needs to list specific actions for reversing population decline and saving the species.

10. Ask for the plan to clearly name who is actually responsible for each action even when the action is by necessity undertaken by a broad coalition. #PassionAndResponsibility

11. For every objective ask them to name how progress is measured with clear indicators + timelines. For a 10-year plan, these measures and timelines must adapt as we learn more. But measures must continue to be observation based. Timelines must be explained. #TheoryOfChange

11a. Incentivise the one responsible to be nimble so that they take immediate small, incremental, decisive actions, gather data based on indicators, adjust quickly and take the next incremental, decisive action in short iterative cycles — no time for analysis paralysis. (#agile?)

13. Finally create open collaborative leadership for managing this plan and adapting it continuously by fully and nimbly engaging all stakeholders in all decision-making that affects #AfricanPenguins. #EffectiveTheoryOfChange

14. Seek effective forums and structures to give all stakeholders a voice in collaborating on addressing this urgent need to save the #AfricanPengins.

We are finally reaching the end. I would be sure to thank everyone involved in this plan for their efforts again. And for the opportunity to comment.

If you are commenting from abroad, and you're not South African, I'm thinking the government in SA might be glad to know spending time with African penguins in the wild drives you to visit, and spend in the economy, as a tourist.

Now go back to the top and actually start that email. Remember to send your comments tonight, or just as soon you can.

All information in the 🧵🐧🧵 comes from studying the proposed biodiversity plan itself, reading a short informative blog post (aquarium.co.za/blog/entry/not…). talking with @2OceansHelen, @eduoceans, @shanetrutgers others, and learning about the delightful birds because they matter.♥️

The Biodiversity Management Plan for the #AfricanPenguin is a very informative and fairly easy read (it's not too technical for people like me who didn't study Marine Science). This is what we'll be commenting on, so I do recommend you read it here dffe.gov.za/sites/default/…

The plan itself is on pages 41-58.

Even if you save this to read later, you will learn so much about the African penguin when you're reading. (The bibliography is a research-oriented penguin friend's dream.)

Thank you for taking your time to read and act on this thread.

#NotOnOurWatch