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. The plan - with a strategy for the next 20 years - provides for measures to protect the highly endangered seabirds. The RECOGE plan had already been published in the Official Journal the day before. When it comes to media coverage, it is noticeable that the reports essentially only reproduce the wording of the press release, but avoid a (critical) classification.
Below is the text of the official press release (3):
"The Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti), one of the most emblematic species on the south coast of South America, is better protected. The Recovery, Conservation and Management of Species (RECOGE) plan for this seabird was published today in the Official Journal. The strategy was developed by CONAF in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment over many years.
Since 2015, experts from both services have been working on the design of the plan, in which Sernapesca and Subpesca (4), among others, participated. The conservation plan is also supported by various organizations and initiatives, including the GEF Coastal Marine Governance project in partnership with the FAO), civil society and academia.
This is how the "RECOGE Humboldt Penguin" plan came about. The plan is based on the Open Standards of Practice for Conservation methodology, a dynamic tool supported by MIRADI software. This system was developed to constantly evaluate the effectiveness of measures and promote continuous improvement by guiding collective and individual action. In this way, the goals that Chile has set itself for the conservation of its native fauna are to be achieved.
The Minister of the Environment, Maisa Rojas, commented on the importance of formalizing the plan: "This strategy will make it possible to protect a bird that is vital to the balance of the country's ecosystem and that is now, unfortunately, classified as an endangered species and in danger of extinction. Thanks to this tool, we will address the conservation and protection of this species by tackling its main threats such as invasive species, anthropogenic disturbances or emerging diseases, among others," said the Environment Agency.
On the extinction of the endangered species
The conservation status of the Humboldt penguin in Chile is worrying: projections made using population models predict that this penguin species could face a serious risk of extinction in just over half a century's time. A recent study led by Dr. Alejandro Simeone, an academic at the Faculty of Life Sciences of the Andrés Bello University (2), shows that the reproductive population of the Humboldt penguin in Chile is around 2,500 to 3,000 pairs. The research carried out between 2021 and 2022 covered 10 of the main islands where this species nests between the Antofagasta and Valparaíso regions. These figures indicate that the size of the reproductive population is smaller than was assumed until a few years ago. "While the species also nests on several other islands along the Chilean coast, their populations are small in most of them: less than 100 pairs on many islands. The future scenario is quite uncertain, considering the combined effects of the El Niño event and the avian flu outbreak that affected seabirds on our coasts in 2023. The censuses that we will carry out next spring will reveal to us the real state of the population in the country," explains Simeone.
About the "RECOGE Humboldt Penguin Plan"
This species is found exclusively on the coasts of Peru and Chile, attracted by the cold waters of the Humboldt Current and their abundance of nutrients. Coastal islands and sea ledges are important breeding and nesting sites. In Chile, Humboldt penguins can be found on various islands from Pan de Azúcar (Copiapó) to Cachagua (Zapallar). Specifically, the islands of Choros, Chañaral, Tilgo and Islotes Pájaros - all part of the Humboldt Archipelago - are home to 89% of the world's breeding colonies of this species (5).
The RECOGE plan will cover the entire coastline from northern Peru to the Isla Grande de Chiloé and will attempt to change the conservation status of the species in 20 years. The Monitoring Group will be responsible for monitoring the plan. The plan sets out objectives and lines of action to reduce threats, increase protection and raise awareness in society of the importance of this native species."
Postscript
Sphenisco's knowledge is not (yet) sufficient to adequately assess the "RECOGE" plan.
With the publication, the protection of the Humboldt Penguin and its habitat is now an official task of the state. This means that authorities and state institutions must take care of this. This could help conservationists and scientists to emphasize their demands, and probably also applies to legal disputes.
It is certain that a committee of experts will be formed. Dr. Alejandro Simeone and Dr. Guillermo Luna (partners in Sphenisco's research project (2)) will also be represented on the committee. The task of this committee is to continuously evaluate and adapt stock and protection strategies based on criteria. There are currently only around 2,500 breeding pairs left in Chile (2). This makes the survival of this penguin species extremely critical. The experts may have to raise the risk level from "endangered" (VU-vulnerable) to "severely endangered" (EN-endangered).
The "RECOGE" plan lists the goals for the conservation of the Humboldt penguin:
1. to reduce the mortality of Humboldt penguins due to anthropogenic causes such as bycatch, pollution and the spread of invasive species.
2. protection and restoration of important Humboldt penguin habitats such as islands and nesting sites. This raises hopes that further islands may be placed under protection and further marine protected areas designated in the 5th region. The aim is reportedly to place 90% of the country's breeding areas under protection.
3. Entwicklung und Umsetzung nachhaltiger Managementmaßnahmen für menschliche Aktivitäten, die den Humboldt-Pinguin betreffen, wie z.B. Fischerei und Tourismus. Pikant daran ist, dass die Fischerei nicht direkt genannt wird, sondern von wirtschaftlichen Aktivitäten auf See gesprochen wird, die nachhaltig sein sollen. Die Skepsis ist groß, ob staatliche Stellen wirklich effektive Maßnahmen ergreifen, die Fischerei nachhaltiger zu gestalten und tatsächlich Beifang reduzieren.
4. monitor and study Humboldt penguin populations to better understand their ecology and population dynamics. This point could make it easier for universities and NGOs to obtain funding for research projects.
5. to promote education and public awareness of the importance of conserving the Humboldt Penguin and its habitat.
W. K.
note
(1) RECOGE is the abbreviation for "Species Recovery, Conservation and Management Plan".
(2) See article "Presentation of "Research for Survival" in La Serena" under "Projects in Chile", December 30, 2023 on this website.
(3) Press release of July 25, 2024 from the Ministry of the Environment.
(4) Subpesca. The Undersecretariat for Fisheries and Aquaculture is a deputy state secretariat under the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism. The task of the Ministry is to develop national fisheries and aquaculture policies and their forms of application and to issue instructions for their implementation.
(5) The information does not apply. It does not take into account the situation in Peru. See article "Census of Humboldt penguins at important sites in Peru in 2022" under "Projects in Peru", May 28, 2024 on this website.
translated by Claudia Fawer
