Landau June 14, 2025. The care of injured and sick wild animals is also a problem in Chile. There is neither a sustainable infrastructure nor financial regulations for their rehabilitation. Sernapesca, the state fisheries authority, is responsible for the recovery of injured and sick marine animals, but not for their care. There used to be a rescue center for marine animals at the “Museum of Natural History and History” in San Antonio, Central Region. José Brito and their staff did good and dedicated work there for many years. Sphenisco has repeatedly supported this work, for example by purchasing medicines. Some time ago, this station was closed. The reasons are not known to Sphenisco.

La Serena, Landau, May 27, 2025: At the end of last year, the Chilean government declared the Humboldt Archipelago an “Área de Conservación de Múltiples Usos - AC-MU (2). The marine and coastal protection zone covers around 574,873 hectares and is located off the coast of the municipality of Freirina, Atacama region, and the municipalities of La Higuera and La Serena, Coquimbo region. The declaration of the protected zone aims to protect a marine ecosystem in central Chile with its biodiversity, habitats, ecological processes and ecosystem services. The declaration defines not only rare marine animals and islands as worthy of protection, but also the characteristic marine upwelling systems and artisanal fishing. However, the decree also stipulates that the marine protected area and the management plan should not have any impact on freedom of navigation and anchorages, insofar as these affect international obligations that Chile has entered into. The AC-MU (2) is under the supervision of the Ministry of the Environment. All activities carried out in the future must be compatible with the conservation objectives of the area and comply with the provisions of the respective management plan.

La Higuera, Landau 8th of May 2025. The Estancia Yerba Buena in the municipality of La Higuera has a rich flora and fauna. Around 88 bird species (1) are regularly observed. There is lucumillo (Myrcianthes coquimbensis) (2), an evergreen shrub that grows exclusively in the province of Elqui, Coquimbo and whose population is unfortunately endangered. The estancia is 4.5 square kilometres (450 hectares) in size and is located on the road from Caleta Hornos to Totoralillo and Chungungo. The owners, all members of one family, have decided to protect their property and use their land for ecotourism. 

Landau February 24, 2025

Preliminary Remarks
Since 2021, a research team led by Dr. Alejandro Simeone (1) has been conducting studies on the population, breeding success and foraging of Humboldt penguins in Chile on behalf of Sphenisco. The research project is funded by the species conservation foundation Zoo Karlsruhe, Dresden Zoo and the Verein der Freunde des Tierparks Hagenbeck 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 23, 2023 on these pages).

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.

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.