Landau, 29th of January 2025.

Preliminary remark
Since 2021, researchers led by Dr Alejandro Simeone (1) have been conducting studies on the population, breeding success and foraging in Chile on behalf of Sphenisco. The studies are funded by the Species Conservation Foundation Zoo Karlsruhe, Dresden Zoo and the Association of Friends of Hagenbeck Zoo (see ‘Chile projects’ 4th of June 2021, 28th of November 2021, 18th of April 2022, 22nd of July 2022, 23rd of July 2023, 1st of January 2023, 9th of July 2023 and 23rd of November 2023 on these pages). After investigating foraging behaviour in the Choros Island area in 2022, the researchers investigated foraging behaviour in the Chachagua Island area in November and December 2024 and summarised the results as follows.

Landau, 12th of January 2025. The natural wealth and global importance of the Humboldt Archipelago in northern Chile is so great that the archipelago was declared a ‘protected coastal area with various uses’ in 2023. This designation fulfils a demand from citizens and scientific communities that they have been eagerly awaiting for.

- It is the 3rd time that the ministerial body has evaluated the initiative of Andes Iron.
- Allianz Humboldt, an alliance of national civil society organisations (1), together with local communities, announced that it would appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.

Santiago, December 9, 2024.
In an unprecedented decision, the First Environmental Court of Antofagasta upheld Andes Iron's lawsuit (2) and ordered the Committee of Ministers to vote again on the Dominga port and mining project. In doing so, the court imposes a number of conditions that exceed its powers.

Landau 24th of November 2024

Since the end of 2021, researchers Dr. Alejandro Simeone (1), Guillermo Luna-Jorquera (2), Dr. Ursula Ellenberg (3) and Dr. Thomas Mattern (4) have been studying the population, breeding success and foraging of Humboldt penguins in Chile on behalf of Sphenisco.

Landau August 23, 2024 – Since August 12 the second season of the weekly video podcast “Sintonía Humboldt” has been running. The way the podcast is distributed has changed with its relaunch. It is now broadcast via Sintonía Humboldt channels on YouTube, Facebook and Spotify, municipal digital media in the communities of La Higuera (El Comunal), La Serena (El Serenense) and Coquimbo (El Coquimbano) as well as the channels of cooperating organizations such as Sphenisco Chile, Defensa Ambiental Región de Coquimbo, Alianza Humboldt Coquimbo-Atacama and Red Comunales. Furthermore, the 2nd season is also sponsored by Bergzoo Halle and Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen, Netherlands.

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.