Humboldt penguins are experiencing a continuous decline in their populations. To understand and address the causes of this decline, we are collaborating with partners in Chile and Peru, aligning efforts with government institutions and NGOs in both countries to conserve the species.
In early August, Oikonos Project Manager Verónica López and Dr. Alejandro Simeone from Andrés Bello University traveled to Peru to meet with Dr. Carlos Zavalaga of the Marine Bird Ecology and Conservation Research Unit (UIECAM) at the Universidad Científica del Sur with the goal of sharing knowledge, exchanging experiences, and planning future collaborative work. The meetings centered on unifying ecological criteria and advancing the standardization of methodologies for accurately assessing penguin populations in both countries. Additionally, they met with Joanna Alfaro and her team at Pro Delphinus to explore collaborative research efforts aimed at reducing penguin mortality caused by bycatch in fisheries across Chile and Peru.
These efforts will result in more accurate and comparable population estimates in both countries, enabling a better evaluation of the species’ global conservation status using IUCN criteria.
Verónica López, Project Manager at Oikonos, alongside Pro Delphinus members and Dr. Alejandro Simeone during their meetings to advance Humboldt Penguin conservation.
Currently classified as Vulnerable, the Humboldt penguin could soon be listed as Endangered. We are committed to fostering collaboration between scientific communities, government institutions, NGOs, and all relevant stakeholders to advance research and implement conservation measures for this species.
Dr. Alejandro Simeone and Dr. Carlos Zavalaga, partners involved in Humboldt Penguin research.
This project is made possible by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, as well as support from Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida at UNAB, Pro Delphinus, and Unidad de Investigación en Ecología y Conservación en Aves Marinas (UIECAM).
Moreover, these actions contribute to the implementation of Chile’s National Bird Conservation Strategy (ENCA) and the Humboldt Penguin Recovery, Conservation, and Management Plan (RECOGE).
Written by: Verónica López
Edited by: Gabriela Lamanna