Will you let penguins drown for fish and chips? Here's what threatens them

Judging by the number of penguins washed ashore with net injuries, many fishers simply discard penguins' carcasses at sea

Fishing nets pose a serious risk to the survival of penguin species, according to a new global review of the toll taken by “bycatch” from commercial fishing. Fourteen of the world’s 18 penguin species have been recorded as fishing bycatch.

Among the species under threat are Tasmania’s little penguins and New Zealand’s yellow-eyed penguins, as detailed in a review, published in the journal Endangered Species Research.

The review shows the level of bycatch is of greatest concern for three species: Humboldt and Magellanic penguins, both found in South America, and the endangered New