Landau, March 27, 2026. The Humboldt penguin population has been severely reduced in recent years due to factors including the El Niño climate phenomenon, the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, overfishing, bycatch, and disturbances at breeding sites (1). Avian influenza (H5N1) has recently been detected again in Chile. On March 4, 2026, the State Agency for Agriculture and Livestock (SAG) confirmed the presence of wild animals in the Valparaíso region. Meteorologists are predicting a “super El Niño” for the end of the year. (2) As if all this were not threatening enough, President Kast’s new government is also halting the implementation of the “Humboldt Penguin Natural Monument” project. In doing so, those in charge are depriving this species—whose very existence is under serious threat—of potential protection (see “Kast Administration Halts ...” March 19, 2026).

Landau, March 19, 2026. A month ago, Sphenisco reported on the designation of the Humboldt penguin as a natural monument. This status enhances the protection of this critically endangered penguin species. The joy was short-lived. Just one week after taking office, the new Kast administration put the designation on hold and announced that it would conduct a technical and legal review. There is concern that the decision will be reversed or put on the back burner. Like many other Chilean media outlets, the Radio BioBio online portal (1) also reported on the matter and provided a detailed account of the assessment by scientist Dr. Alejandro Simeone:

Landau, February 24, 2026.
Civil society groups in Chile and penguin lovers around the world can hardly believe it. First, on February 13, 2026, the Humboldt penguin was declared a natural monument by the Chilean government, thereby improving protection for this endangered species. Then, just eight days later, environmentalists celebrated another major success. On February 21, 2026, the Chilean judiciary's online portal reports on the Dominga project: "The Antofagasta Court of Appeals overturns all measures ordered by the First Environmental Court" (1).

Landau, February 16, 2026. Civil society groups – including Fundación Chile – and scientists in Chile have achieved a major success in saving the Humboldt penguin. The declaration of the Humboldt penguin as a natural monument (1) marks a milestone in the conservation of biological diversity in Chile. On February 13, 2026, the Chilean Ministry of the Environment published the decision:

Landau, February 12, 2026. For five years, Movimiento Ambiental Camanchaca (1) has been committed to environmental protection in the municipality of La Higuera. The non-profit organization is based in the coastal village of Caleta Los Hornos and aims to protect the Humboldt Archipelago from exploitation and promote environmental awareness, sustainable development, and ecotourism. Camanchaca's main goal is to strengthen research, nature conservation, and tourism in the southern part of the municipality, as this area has been neglected in the past. The environmental group is a member of the Humboldt Coquimbo–Atacama Alliance (2) and is very active in the Corporación Turismo Sostenible de La Higuera (3). It is currently represented by Marcelo Alejandro Villalobos S..

Landau, January 22, 2026. On Penguin Awareness Day on January 20, conservationists and scientists in South America once again provided information about penguins. As on World Penguin Day in April, they drew the public's attention to this fascinating species, a miracle of evolution, and the threat of extinction facing some penguin species.

Landau, February 2, 2026

C H I L E

+++Literary competition “The Humboldt Archipelago in 110 words”+++
Following the great success of the literature competition in 2024, Fundación Sphenisco Chile announced that it would be holding the competition again at the end of 2025. The deadline for entries has now been extended to March 31, 2026. The winners can look forward to sailing trips to the Humboldt Archipelago (including a companion) and through the “Pingüino de Humboldt” nature reserve with observations of marine animals. The project is supported by the municipality of La Higuera, international organizations such as Sphenisco e.V., the sponsors Rostock Zoo and Ouwehand Zoo Foundation, as well as national and local organizations (see also article “Second Literature Competition...” from November 9, 2025).

Landau, January 30, 2026. In December 2025, Chilean media reported on a new bribery scandal in connection with the “Dominga” mining and port project of the Andes Iron company. Sphenisco reported on this on January 9, 2026, under the headline “New bribery scandal – were court rulings bought in favor of ‘Dominga’?” A new decision by the Court of Appeals in Antofagasta is currently expected in the “Dominga” case. This prompted Nancy Duman, president of Fundación Sphenisco Chile, to write a letter to the editor on the subject. The letter was published in El Mercurio, Antofagasta and Calama edition:

Landau, January 25, 2026. The marine animal rescue station in Coquimbo, northern Chile, is jointly supported and managed by the Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN) (1), Sernapesca (2), Sphenisco, and the NGO Conservación Humboldt (3). It is funded by the zoos in Dresden, Frankfurt, and Halle. At the beginning of January, Conservación Humboldt reported in detail on the development of the rescue station in accordance with the contract: