Urgent Call to Action: Scientific Community Demands Reactivation of Decree to Protect Humboldt Penguin

The alert can no longer be sugar-coated. In an open letter, the scientific community studying and conserving the Humboldt penguin has urged the reactivation of the decree that designated it as a Natural Monument, a measure withdrawn by the government of José Kast just as the species faces one of its most precarious moments, now officially categorized as Endangered. Furthermore, this call is not just confined to the academic sphere; it is part of the citizen campaign «It’s More Than a Penguin», which is gathering signatures until April 25 to support its protection.

The tone of the letter leaves little room for doubt. “The most recent scientific evidence is robust and conclusive,” warn the authors, detailing that the last census in 2025 revealed the population had plummeted to “fewer than 2,000 breeding pairs.” They also add another stark statistic: colonies in central-northern Chile have seen a “more than 60% decrease in the last 5 years.”

Simply put, there are fewer penguins, their reproduction rates are declining, and the threats continue to mount. Thus, when the letter states that “advancing and strengthening protective measures is not optional, but urgent,” it is not exaggerating. It describes a conservation scenario that has already entered a critical zone, with a species whose situation demands immediate action rather than waiting until it’s too late.

Key Points of the Alert for the Humboldt Penguin

The scientific community warns that the species faces a critical scenario and calls for the reactivation of the decree withdrawn by José Antonio Kast’s government.

It is currently officially classified as Endangered.
The last census recorded fewer than 2,000 breeding pairs.
Colonies in central-northern Chile have dropped by over 60% in 5 years.
The citizen campaign “It’s More Than a Penguin” is collecting signatures until April 25.

In simple terms: protecting the Humboldt penguin is not just about preserving a species, but also safeguarding the balance of the marine ecosystem it sustains.

Protecting the Humboldt Penguin: Why It’s More Than Just a Bird

A key aspect of this discussion is understanding that the Humboldt penguin matters not only for being an iconic species. It is also significant because it acts as a gauge of ocean health. If its population declines, it may indicate that there are broader disruptions happening in the ecosystem.

The campaign puts it straightforwardly: “Protecting the penguin means caring for an entire system.” It breaks this down simply: the bird is a bioindicator of the Humboldt current, its presence helps assess ocean health and changes that may impact marine productivity, artisanal fishing, and the tourism upon which thousands of Chilean families depend.

This aligns directly with what the scientific letter emphasizes, reminding readers that the Humboldt penguin is “a key bioindicator of the health status of the marine ecosystem related to the Humboldt current” and that its decline “reflects a broader deterioration of the ocean.” In other words, when the penguin population declines, the warning signals are not only for biodiversity; they also encompass coastal life and the communities reliant on the sea.

What Reactivating the Decree Means

Here lies the crux of the matter: declaring the Humboldt penguin as a Natural Monument is not a decorative gesture or a pretty title. It represents a stronger form of protection. It serves to better safeguard the species and its habitat, placing clearer limits on interventions that could harm it.

Therefore, when the decree was withdrawn from the Comptroller’s office in March 2026, what was put on hold was not just any piece of paper, but a concrete conservation tool. The campaign’s website summarizes it succinctly: “The withdrawal of the decree paused a crucial protection.”

The letter also aligns with this perspective. Its signatories assert that instruments like the Natural Monument designation are “concrete tools for safeguarding the species,” because they provide “a higher level of protection” and help bring attention to its ecological and social significance.

Protecting the Humboldt penguin is not just about saving a species; it’s also about defending the balance of the marine ecosystem it supports. (Image: esmasqueunpinguino.cl)

Protecting the Humboldt Penguin in an Increasingly Fragile Scenario

The issue is that the species’ decline cannot be attributed to a single cause. According to the letter, in recent years several factors have combined, including avian influenza, the El Niño phenomenon, decreased prey availability, incidental catches in fishing nets, resource competition, and habitat disruption due to human pressure. In short, there is not just one blow; several are occurring simultaneously.

This complicates any rollback in protection. Because when a species is already under pressure from multiple fronts, losing regulatory tools is not neutral. On the contrary, it can diminish the capacity for response precisely when action is most needed.

This point intersects with a larger context. As previously reported by El Ciudadano, the withdrawal of environmental decrees by the current government impacts not just one specific file, but reorganizes a significant part of the regulatory framework in biodiversity, protected areas, and species conservation. In this landscape, the case of the Humboldt penguin appears not as an exception, but as a concrete example of how administrative decisions can have direct implications for environmental protection.

The Citizen Campaign and Key Date: Sign by April 25

The other important dimension of this story is that the defense of the species is not solely in the hands of specialists. The campaign “It’s More Than a Penguin” is creating a citizen window to inform, gather support, and collect signatures before April 25.

The campaign’s message is direct: “Every penguin counts, and every signature counts.” Its goal is also clear: “The open letter seeks to gather informed citizen support for the protection of the Humboldt penguin as a Natural Monument.” Essentially, the idea is simple: if scientific evidence has already shown that the scenario is critical, now it’s time to convert that concern into public backing.

One of the strengths of this campaign is that it does not merely ask for random signatures. It also explains why this species matters, what is at stake with its decline, and why conserving the Humboldt penguin touches on issues such as ocean health, fishing, local economics, and environmental futures.

You can still sign the campaign “It’s More Than a Penguin” until April 25, aiming to strengthen the protection of the Humboldt penguin and support the reactivation of the decree withdrawn by the government. (Image: esmasqueunpinguino.cl)

An Urgency That Cannot Be Delayed

The letter concludes with a phrase that aptly summarizes the moment: “The challenge is clear: align science, public policy, and citizen commitment to ensure the protection of this emblematic species in its ecosystem.”

Translated into concrete actions, this means three things. First, the science has already provided sufficient warning signals. Second, public policy cannot continue pausing a protective tool. And third, citizens still have an opportunity to push the issue, with an active campaign and a clear deadline until April 25.

Because in the end, and perhaps the most important takeaway, protecting the Humboldt penguin is not just about saving a charismatic species. It’s a decision about what value is given to an entire ecosystem when the evidence is already on the table.

La entrada Urgent Call to Action: Scientific Community Demands Reactivation of Decree to Protect Humboldt Penguin se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.