Santiago, Landau 5th August 2024

Preliminary note

On July 26, Chilean Environment Minister Maisa Rojas presented the National Plan for the Conservation of the Humboldt Penguin (RECOGE Plan) (1) to a very exclusive audience on the island of Cachagua. Present at the presentation were CONAF (National Forestry Agency, also responsible for protected areas) and Sernapesca (Chilean Fisheries Agency), the main partners in the development of the plan, as well as the scientist and researcher Alejandro Simeone (2) and NGOs such as Oikonos, Island Conservation and Sphenisco, represented by Nancy Duman, Senator Ricardo Lagos Weber and local authorities. 

La Serena, Landau 9 August 2024

Every beginning has its own magic (1). On 31 July, the jury announced the winners of the literary competition ‘The Humboldt Archipelago in 110 Words’. The competition was organised by Sphenisco and Defensa Ambiental Region Coquimbo for 3 groups of children, young people and adults and was sponsored by Rostock Zoo, Germany. At the announcement in the former home of Gabriela Mistral (2) in La Serena, there were many ‘beginnings’ and a very special, magical atmosphere unfolded.

La Serena, Landau April 25, 2024: 

Just in time for the World Penguin Day on April 25, Sphenisco-chile in La Serena launched the “Humboldt Penguin - Symbolic Bird of the Humboldt Current” campaign. Since the beginning of April Sphenisco employees have been promoting the protection of the globally significant ecosystem as well as a sustainable management plan for the agreed-upon marine protection zone by utilizing the literary competition “The Humboldt Archipelago in 110 Words” and the radio talk show “Sintonia“ in an unusual way.

Landau 8th April 2024. Conservationists and scientists have been fighting for the "Humboldt Archipelago Marine Protected Area" for more than 20 years. It was adopted by the Chilean government last year and declared in the official gazette at the end of November. 

Paracas, December 11, 2023. In the last two years, intensive research has been carried out on the Humboldt penguin on behalf of Sphenisco. The  group led by Dr. Alejandro Simeone, University Andrés Bello, Santiago, carried out population counts on the most important Chilean breeding islands, another group led by Dr. Guillermo Luna, University of Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, monitored breeding success on the islands of Choros and Chañaral. In addition, the group led by Dr Thomas Mattern and Dr Ursula Ellenberg, NZ Penguin Initiative, University of Otago, Dunedin, investigated foraging. The extensive research project was funded by the Karlsruhe Zoo Species Conservation Foundation, Dresden Zoo and the Association of Friends of Hagenbeck Zoo e.V. (see "Projects Chile" June 4, 2021, November 28, 2021, April 18, 2022, July 22, 2022, July 23, 2023, January 1, 2023, July 9, 2023 and November 21, 2023 on these pages).

La Serena December 5, 2023 

The care for injured and sick wild animals is a problem in Chile, too. For their rehabiliation there is no sustainable infrastructure as well as no financial arrangement. Sernapesca (fisheries authority) is in charge of the recovery of injured and sick marine animals, but not for their care. There used to be a rescue center for animals including marine animals at the "Museum of Natural History and History" in San Antonio, Central Region. José Brito and his staff performed good and dedicated work there for many years. Sphenisco has supported the work again and again, for example by purchasing medicines. This rescue center was closed some time ago, the reasons are not known to Sphenisco.

La Serena 30th November 2023. On August 11, the Boric government's Council of Ministers for Sustainability approved the "Humboldt Archipelago Marine Protected Area". This week, the declaration of the "conservation zone with different uses" was published in the official gazette. A management plan for the protection zone can and must now be drawn up within a legally prescribed period of two years. This is the responsibility of the Ministry of the Environment, represented by the Undersecretaries for the Environment, Natalia Penroz for the Atacama region and Leonardo Gros for the Coquimbo region.

Trade unions from Coquimbo, in which a minority of fishermen from La Higuera are organized, are taking legal action before the Court of Appeal of La Serena to have the foundation of the Área Marina Costeras Protegidas de Múltiple Uso (AMCP-MU) (1) Humboldt Archipelago declared illegal. Prior to the trial, supporters of the mining and port projects in Caleta Los Hornos and La Serena recurrently demonstrated against this decision. The supporters are encouraged by Andes Iron and are probably even assigned by the company. The media reported on these actions rather one-sidedly. Therefore "Alianza Humboldt Coquimbo Atacama" issued the following statement:

"Establishing a marine protective area with multiple uses has been the wish of the municipalities of La Higuera and Freirina since 2009. They have been waiting for more than ten years. The "Humboldt Archipelago Marine Protected Area" was approved by three presidents of the Republic!

La Serena November 21, 2023. In 2021 and 2022, researchers carried out the "Research for Survival" project on behalf of Sphenisco with great success. The group led by Dr. Alejandro Simeone, University Andrés Bello, Santiago was responsible for counting, the group led by Dr. Guillermo Luna, University Católica del Norte, Coquimbo for monitoring breeding success, the group led by Dr. Thomas Mattern and Dr. Ursula Ellenberg, NZ Penguin Initiative, University of Otago, Dunedin for foraging studies. The contractual partner of the project was the University Andrés Bello, Santiago, it was funded by the Species Conservation Foundation Zoo Karlsruhe, the Zoo Dresden and the Association of Friends of Hagenbeck Zoo (see "Projects Chile" June 4, 2021, November 28, 2021, April 18, 2022, July 22, 2022, July 23, 2023, January 1, 2023 and July 9, 2023 on these pages).

As planned from the outset, work will continue in 2023 and 2024. The new contract entitled "Research and Development Agreement" between Andrés Bello University and Sphenisco is ready to be signed in November.