A proposed structured framework for providing scientific advice on possible responses to the decline in the numbers of African penguins

Legislation alone provides insufficient operational guidance to yield an unambiguous outcome for scientific advice on a management response to the current decline in penguin abundance. Decisions will require trade-off choices to be made by decision makers, who will need soundly-based scientific information, provided in a format that is well structured and readily comprehensible, to assist in making those decisions. A Risk Analysis approach is proposed for this, whereby the consequences of combinations of alternative hypotheses for the penguin decline and possible management responses are compared within a matrix framework. The responsibilities of scientists in providing the information for inclusion in such a matrix are set out.