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:
“The arguments were sound,” an expert commented on the repeal of the decree protecting the Humboldt penguin (2)
The decision by the new government under President José Antonio Kast to withdraw a series of regulations (3) that were under review by the Office of the Comptroller General (Contraloría General de la República) (4)—including one intended to strengthen protections for the Humboldt penguin—has sparked concern in scientific and environmental circles.
This is a decision by the Ministry of the Environment, which has announced that it will review various decrees issued by the previous administration. According to the government, the technical and legal grounds will be reviewed before the Contraloría proceeds with its review.
The government is revoking the decree that protects the Humboldt penguin
Experts warn that the situation facing the Humboldt penguin would worsen without the planned restrictions or if conservation measures were halted or delayed. Just recently, the Humboldt penguin, one of the most iconic species of the Chilean coast, was reclassified, as it is no longer merely “Vulnerable” (VU) but “Endangered” (EN). Furthermore, approximately 80% of the global population is found on Chilean territory.
In an interview published by “The Clinic” (5), researcher Dr. Alejandro Simeone of the One Health Institute at Universidad Andrés Bello expressed concern about the repeal of the decree, which was intended to establish new species conservation measures. Simeone, who has been researching the Humboldt penguin for more than three decades, explained that any setback in species conservation sets off alarm bells among experts: "It is a species in distress." “Therefore, any measure that deprives the endangered species of protection or delays its implementation (...) is bad news. We are concerned.” The expert added that the document supporting the measure was based on sound scientific evidence. As mentioned, the classification was revised by experts and was based on data regarding the status of the population and the conservation of this species. “The evidence presented was very clear (...) there wasn’t much room for interpretation,” Simeone said in an interview.
An additional protective measure
The new classification of the Humboldt penguin as a species at risk of extinction was published in the Official Gazette following a scientific review process in 2024 and 2025.
The withdrawn decree, which is now set to be reviewed, was initiated at the end of the previous administration’s term to strengthen the protection of this penguin species through additional conservation measures. Although the government’s decision does not necessarily mean the decree will be permanently revoked, Simeone believes it is cause for concern: “It’s not necessarily bad news, but it is still worrying, because the project was already complete,” he explained.
It should be noted that the withdrawal of the decree does not necessarily mean that it will not come into effect in the future. It is up to the government to decide whether to resubmit it with amendments or to continue the technical review.
W. K.
notes
For the sake of readability, the generic masculine form is used in this article. Unless otherwise indicated, the terms used to refer to people in this article apply to all genders.
(1) The online portal biobio.cl is one of the largest and most influential news portals in Chile. It is the online presence of Radio Bío-Bío, a renowned Chilean radio station that offers a wide range of information.
(2) The article “Expert on the repeal of the decree protecting the Humboldt penguin: ‘The arguments were quite solid’” was published on March 17, 2026, on the biobio.cl website.
(3) The Ministry of the Environment suspended 43 decrees issued by the previous administration under the “Reasoning Procedure” at the Office of the Comptroller General (Contraloría General de la República).
(4) The Contraloría General de la República (CGR) is an autonomous constitutional body in Chile that oversees the legality of administrative acts and ensures the proper use of public funds. Its main responsibilities include reviewing government decisions, auditing public finances, and monitoring compliance with the law.
(5) “The Clinic” is a partly satirical Chilean newspaper that offers analysis and commentary on politics, culture, and current events.
translated by Claudia Fawer
