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The number of African penguins Spheniscus demersus breeding in South Africa collapsed from about 56 000 pairs in 2001 to some 21 000 pairs in 2009, a loss of 35 000 pairs (>60%) in eight years. This reduced the global population to 26 000 pairs, when including Namibian breeders, and led to classification of the species as Endangered. In South Africa, penguins breed in two regions, the Western Cape and Algoa Bay (Eastern Cape), their breeding localities in these regions being separated by c. 600 km. Their main food is anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus and sardine Sardinops sagax, which are also the target of purse-seine fisheries. In Algoa Bay, numbers of African penguins halved from 21 000 pairs in 2001 to 10 000 pairs in 2003. In the Western Cape, numbers decreased from a mean of 35 000 pairs in 2001–2005 to 11 000 pairs in 2009. At Dassen Island, the annual survival rate of adult penguins decreased from 0.70 in 2002/2003 to 0.46 in 2006/2007; at Robben Island it decreased from 0.77 to 0.55 in the same period. In both the Western and Eastern Cape provinces, long-term trends in numbers of penguins breeding were significantly related to the combined biomass of anchovy and sardine off South Africa. However, recent decreases in the Western Cape were greater than expected given a continuing high abundance of anchovy. In this province, there was a south-east displacement of prey around 2000, which led to a mismatch in the distributions of prey and the western breeding localities of penguins.Keywords: African penguin, diet, numbers breeding, numbers moulting, Spheniscus, survivalAfrican Journal of Marine Science 2011, 33(1): 139–156 more...

The long-awaited occupation-specific dispensation (OSD) process for state-employed doctors has now been concluded. The final offer, signed and accepted in the bargaining chamber despite being rejected by 92% of doctors in a SAMA survey, has not received much attention or fanfare. At the conclusion of this process, which has been drawn out over several years, many points have emerged that are extremely worrying for the future of health care in this country. more...

The bulk ore carrier MV Treasure sank between Robben and Dassen islands off western South Africa in June 2000. Although releasing less oil than the Apollo Sea spill six years earlier, the number of African penguins Spheniscus demersus oiled (approximately 19 000) in the Treasure spill was almost double the number oiled in the Apollo Sea incident. The majority of oiled penguins was collected from Robben Island. The capture, stabilisation and transport of oiled penguins following the Treasure spill were substantially more successful than during the Apollo Sea rescue operation and resulted in an increase in the percentage of oiled penguins that were released back to the wild. In addition to the 19 000 oiled penguins that were caught, 19 500 un-oiled birds (12 345 from Dassen Island) were evacuated to Cape Recife, 800 km to the east, to prevent them from becoming contaminated. The evacuated birds returned rapidly to Dassen Island and many resumed breeding soon after their return. The restoration success (proportion of birds observed at Dassen Island that were recorded breeding) was substantially greater for evacuated birds than for de-oiled birds. Lightly oiled birds that were released without being cleaned had lower survival rates and were less successfully restored into the breeding population than de-oiled birds, especially if more than 5% of their body was covered in oil. Reproduction exerted a greater cost to de-oiled birds than to evacuated birds. A total of 1 787 orphaned chicks was hand-reared at two separate facilities on the mainland and were released at Robben and Dassen islands. The chicks did not necessarily return to the colony at which they were released. The survival rates and restoration success of chicks reared at the two facilities differed, probably as a result of one group being overfed. Despite the death of about 2 000 African penguins in the Treasure spill, and the substantial disturbance that resulted from the rescue operation, the penguin colonies at Robben and Dassen islands increased by 18% and 26% respectively in the year following the spill. This increase was attributed to a significant increase in the biomass of anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus and sardine Sardinops sagax in 2001. These findings highlight the importance of preventing oil spills in the first place, and in the event of a large oil spill, the conservation value of evacuating un-oiled penguins to minimise their risk of becoming contaminated.Keywords: African penguin; captive rearing; Dassen Island; de-oiling; oil spill; relocation; Spheniscus demersus; South AfricaAfrican Journal of Marine Science 2008, 30(2): 405–419 more...

There have been recent changes in the distributions of several seabirds in South Africa. In the mid-1990s, breeding of Leach's storm petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa was recorded in the Western Cape, the first record for the Southern Hemisphere. There was a large eastward expansion in the breeding range of crowned cormorant Phalacrocorax coronatus sometime between the early 1990s and the early 2000s, and in that of Hartlaub's gull Larus hartlaubii between 1995 and 2000. A smaller eastward expansion in the breeding range of kelp gull Larus dominicanus was noted in 2006. In 2003, a new colony of African penguins Spheniscus demersus formed in the east of the Western Cape, but after 2004 there were large decreases of penguins at colonies in the west of this province. South Africa's northern most penguin colony became extinct in 2006. In the early 2000s, there was a decrease in numbers of Cape gannets Morus capensis breeding in the Western Cape, but a large increase in the Eastern Cape. Numbers of Cape P. capensis and bank P. neglectus cormorants decreased in the north of the Western Cape in the 1990s, but increased at some southern localities in the 2000s. A similar pattern was noted for kelp gulls, except that the decreases in the north took place in the 2000s. The proportion of swift terns Sterna bergii in the Western Cape that bred in the south of this province increased markedly in the mid-2000s. Although local factors may have played a role in the distributional changes, their consistent anticlockwise nature, the broad similarity in their timing and their widespread occurrence suggest the influence of environmental change, perhaps forced by climate. This hypothesis is supported by similar displacements of other South African marine resources and congruent changes in seabird populations in the South-West Indian Ocean. Keywords: climate change; colonisation; distributional shift; range expansion; seabird; South AfricaAfrican Journal of Marine Science 2008, 30(1): 189–193 more...

The bulk ore carrier Apollo Sea sank south-west of Dassen Island off western South Africa in June 1994, oiling approximately 10 000 African penguins Spheniscus demersus, most of which were collected from Dassen Island. A total of 4 076 de-oiled penguins was released with flipper bands. From 1994 to 2005, follow-up research using re-sighting and capturemark-recapture methods indicated that about 73% of the de-oiled penguins observed back at Dassen Island attempted to breed, and were thus successfully restored into the breeding population. For de-oiled breeders, the median interval between their first recorded sighting and first recorded breeding attempt was 11 months, indicating a short-term delay in restoration. At least 45% of the de-oiled breeders were still being re-sighted five years after their release, and a minimum of 4% survived into their ninth year. These results represent the most successful restoration estimates anywhere in the world. The proportion of de-oiled juvenile penguins re-sighted back at Dassen Island and recorded breeding was lower than that of birds in adult plumage. De-oiled non-breeders spent significantly more time along the shore and less time within breeding colonies than de-oiled breeders. The mean proportion of de-oiled breeders that abstained from breeding each year during the study period was greater than expected. There was a negative relationship between breeding and subsequent survival and breeding, suggesting a cost of reproduction for de-oiled birds. Keywords: African penguin; Apollo Sea; breeding; capture-mark-recapture; Dassen Island; de-oiling; oiling; rehabilitation; restoration; South Africa; Spheniscus demersusAfrican Journal of Marine Science 2008, 30(2): 421–436 more...

Bibliography: p. 453-480., Soos in die titel van die verhandeling aangekondig word, is hierdie ondersoek toegespits op tweërlei aspekte: enersyds die doelstelling van die onderrig van Aardrykskunde in die primêre skool, en andersyds 'n didaktiespedagogiese analise van sodanige doelstelling. So 'n omlyning van die navorsingsveld sou miskien vaag aandoen indien daar nie op 'n verantwoordbare wyse rekening gehou word met sekere fundamentele konsepte of begrippe wat in die titel weerspieël word nie. Daarom wil ons spesifiek die volgende uitsonder en meer volledig belig: didakties-pedagogies, doelstelling, onderrig, Aardrykskunde en primêre skool. more...

From 1987 to 2005, numbers of African penguins Spheniscus demersus breeding in South Africa's Western Cape Province increased by about 50%. Numbers decreased at the four northernmost colonies in the region: Lambert's Bay and the three colonies in Saldanha Bay, although at Jutten Island the decrease is inferred from an estimate for 1987, derived from interpolation. Numbers also decreased at Geyser Rock and Dyer Island on the South Coast. At five colonies between Saldanha Bay and Dyer Island there were large increases. At a sixth colony in that region, Seal Island, where Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus limit breeding space, numbers remained stable. At two colonies that were initiated in the early 1980s, Robben Island and Boulders, increases were initially rapid (>20% per annum) and matched growth of the South African stock of sardine Sardinops sagax. Strong growth at Dassen and Vondeling islands, between Robben Island and Saldanha Bay, was observed from about 1996–2002, when there was a large increase in the biomass of pelagic fish off South Africa. Increases at colonies between Saldanha Bay and Boulders slowed after 2002, whereas the colony at Dyer Island stabilised at that time. In 2003, a new colony was initiated east of Dyer Island at De Hoop Nature Reserve. These latter trends followed an eastward shift in the distribution of sardine. Small penguin colonies may act as foci for growth in a period when the distribution of prey is changing. Hence, it is important that they be maintained, especially those that, if lost, would increase the isolation of regional populations. Some of the small colonies are less susceptible to oil spills than colonies in the proximity of harbours, and for that reason also are important.Keywords: African penguin; breeding colonies; food availability; management; oiling; population trendsAfrican Journal of Marine Science 2006, 28(3&4): 697–704 more...

LLM (International Trade Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus South African trade marks are protected under the country’s common law and statutes and also in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (hereafter the Constitution). Because intellectual property rights (hereafter IPRs) are usually territorial in nature, the rights conferred on a trade mark proprietor will be determined by the national laws of the country in which the trade mark is registered (hereafter the territoriality principle). For example, if a trade mark is registered in South Africa, the rights conferred on a trade mark proprietor will be limited to apply only within the borders of the Republic. From a trade mark perspective, exporters of goods must ensure that (i) any trade mark that appears on their goods does not infringe on other trade mark rights of third parties in the country or countries that they intend to export to, (ii) they apply to register the trade mark in each country they wish to export to, and (iii) their application for registration of their trade marks has complied with the laws of the country that they intend to export to. Masters more...

MCom (Labour Relations Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2018 From previous literature, conflict handling styles, turnover intention and employability are critical focus areas of research in South Africa. Few studies have been directed to assess conflict handling styles regarding leadership, and the relationship thereof with employees’ turnover intention. Furthermore, little has been conducted concerning conflict handling styles regarding leadership and the influence thereof on an employee’s turnover intention and perceived employability. Thus, little is known about conflict handling style with regard to leadership and the influence that it has on employee’s decision to stay with an organisation and an employee’s perceived employability. Therefore, this study is aimed at (i) assessing the relationship between conflict handling styles regarding leadership and employees’ turnover intention and (ii) broadening the understanding of conflict handling style regarding organisational leadership and the influence thereof on employee turnover and perceived employability. A quantitative, cross-sectional research approach was followed containing a sample of n =118 from a leader in the banking sector in South Africa. Measuring instruments that were used included biographical information, The Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory-II (ROCI-II), Turnover Intention Scale of Bothma and Roodt (TIS-6) and the Employability Measure. SPSS and AMOS Version 24 were used together with the assistance of a statistician from North-West University. Descriptive Statistics, inferential statistics, SEM, CFA, ANOVA and T-Tests were used (de Vos et al., 2011). In Chapter 2 (Article 1) the objective was to determine the relationship between the constructs of conflict handling styles regarding leadership and turnover intention in an organisation. In this article, the results showed a correlation between the constructs, but it was not always positive, and that conflict handling style is not a predictor of turnover intention, as well as a structural model. In Chapter 3 (Article 2) the objective was to broaden the understanding of conflict handling style regarding organisational leadership and the influence thereof on employee turnover and perceived employability. In this article, the results indicated correlations between all three constructs that were both positive and negative. It was also confirmed that conflict handling styles are not a predictor of employability; a structural model was also indicated Masters more...

PhD (Labour Relations Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013 No abstract available Doctoral