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.

Viña del Mar, Landau, September 17, 2023 – From September 4th to 9th, experts from all over the world met in Viña del Mar, Chile for the 11th International Penguin Congress. More than 200 scientists and experts in the conservation of various penguin species presented and discussed new research results in 75 lectures and 86 poster presentations. Alejandro Simeone (Universidad Andrés Bello), Juliana Vianna (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) and Guillermo Luna-Jorquera (Universidad Católica del Norte) were responsible for the local organization. 

Landau September 11, 2023

On August 17 and 18 Sphenisco-Chile organized the two-day seminar "Environmental Education for Sustainability in and with the Humboldt Archipelago" in Chungungo, municipality of La Higuera. The objective was to promote environmental education in the schools of the Coquimbo region, particularly in the schools of the municipality of La Higuera. The municipality of La Higuera includes the Humboldt Archipelago and the correspondent marine protected area, for which currently an approval procedure is in process. The pedagogues also seized the opportunity of the workshop to visit Chungungo Bay, the area that is most threatened by the planned port and desalination projects. For most of the 12 teachers, the seminar was a continuation of last year's workshop. The meeting was held at the headquarters of Agua Potable Rural (rural drinking water supply), and the training was sponsored by the Neumünster Zoo.

Santiago, Landau 14th August 2023. The Council of Ministers for Sustainability unanimously decided on 11 August to protect the Humboldt Archipelago as "Área Marina Costera Protegida de Múltiples Usos, AMCP-MU" (marine protected area with different uses). Unlike a marine park, where only research and observation activities can be carried out, activities with a low environmental impact such as artisanal fishing and tourism are allowed in an AMCP-MU. 

La Serena, Landau July 13, 2023. On Thursday, 6 July, in Chañaral de Aceituno, the Ministries of Environment of the Coquimbo and Atacama regions presented a new proposal for a multi-use marine protected area (AMCP-MU) for the Humboldt Archipelago. The meeting was attended by representatives of municipalities, fishermen and environmental and cultural organisations. The category "multi-use marine protected area" refers to a severely limited, i.e. rather low, protection. Its objectives include the conservation of biodiversity, the protection of ecosystems, endangered marine species and their habitats, and the preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of the marine and coastal communities of this area.

Santiago, Landau 9th July 2023.

In recent years, Chilean and New Zealand researchers Alejandro Simeone, Guillermo Luna, Ursula Ellenberg and Thomas Mattern have conducted studies on the population, breeding success and foraging of Humboldt penguins on behalf of Sphenisco. The extensive and costly research work was financially supported by the Species Conservation Foundation Karlsruhe Zoo, the Friends of Hagenbeck Zoo and Dresden Zoo. The slogan "Research for Survival" has been repeatedly reported on these pages ("Projects Chile", July 2022 and "News", February 2023). Now the researchers present their approach and results in the final report "Investigations of the population and foraging behaviour of Humboldt penguins in Chile": „… During the breeding seasons 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 (October to December), we studied the breeding population of the Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) on 10 islands along the coast of north-central Chile. The islands vary greatly in area, from 3 ha (Islote Pájaro Niño) to 516 ha (Chañaral), and in population, from 35 breeding pairs (Islote Ramadas) to 729 breeding pairs (Isla Chachagua). The total population was estimated at 2,511 breeding pairs.

SEA publishes resolution with the technical reasons against the mining project and affirms that it cannot be carried out. SEA publishes the official document with the arguments of the ministerial committee that rejected the project in January 2023. 

Alianza Humboldt hopes that this decision will put a definitive end to the company's aspirations.