Rockhopper penguin is one of the world’s most numerous penguin populations, it is estimated that the population declined by some 30 percent over the final 30 years of the 20th century. The cause of this decline is mainly unknown, but scientists have speculated that humans are involved, mostly by commercial overfishing, oil exploitation, and pollution. Recent research has shown that rockhopper penguin population declines with changes in ocean surface temperature, indicating a direct impact from climate change. These activities have depleted much of the rockhopper penguin’s food supply and raised the sea surface temperatures, and because this species is geographically isolated to
Rockhopper Exploration in production licences PL023, PL024, PL032 and PL033 covering approximately 3800 km. In 2005 it farmed into licences PL003 and PL004 operated by Desire Petroleum plc. In 2011, Rockhopper increased its share of PL004b from 7.5% to 60.0% and in PL004c from 7.5% to 25.0%. Licence PL004b contains an extension to the Sea Lion field as well as the Beverley, Casper and Casper South discoveries. The Rockhopper board comprises eight directors; a non-executive chairman, three executive directors and four non-executive directors, one of whom acts as senior independent director. Four of the non-executive directors are considered to be independent. The