The Nature Conservancy - The Seas of South America: Plight of the Humboldt Penguin

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Ecosystems Under Siege

The coasts of South America face dire threats from human population growth. Find out how the Conservancy is helping turn the tide on coastal degredation.

The Nature Conservancy’s South America Marine Program

Learn how the Conservancy is working to protect marine areas across South America.

Marine Science in South America

See what Anthony Chatwin, the head of the Conservancy's marine conservation work in South America, thinks are the biggest conservation challenges and successes in the region.

Priorities for Coastal and Marine Conservation in South America

Download and read the full report on this landmark study for marine conservation and find out what The Nature Conservancy is doing to protect South America for nature and people.

On the, rocky shores of Peru, Humboldt Penguins create underground burrows to protect themselves and their eggs from predators and the intense South American sun. The Humboldt Penguin, one of many penguin species living in tropical areas, feeds on the small fish—particularly anchovies and sardines—and squid that are swept along the Peruvian and Chilean coasts by the cold, northward flowing waters of the Humboldt Current.

But as the Humboldt Penguins dig into the sand for protection, they face threats they simply cannot hide from including:

Overfishing
Pollution
Coastal development
Climate Change

By many estimates, the Humboldt population has fallen from 20,000 in the early 1980s to around 13,000 today. In fact, the Humboldt Penguin’s numbers have dropped so precipitously and the threats it faces have become so numerous, that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are considering it for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

An Ecosystem Under Seige

According to a new report, "Priorities for Coastal and Marine Conservation in South America," edited by Anthony Chatwin, the director of The Nature Conservancy’s South American marine program, the Peruvian coast represents about 10 percent of country’s total territory but houses nearly 52 percent of its population, creating a siege on the natural habitat that is home to the Humboldt Penguin and many other species.

The world’s largest fishery is located on the Peruvian coast and is partly responsible for the depletion of area populations of anchovetta—a Peruvian species of anchovy.

Unfortunately for the penguin, a species for whom the anchovetta is the primary food source, anchovy fishing has grown to the point where most of the fish in the area are being harvested, leaving reduced amounts for penguins and other animals that depend on them for survival.

Pollution from Raw Sewage

Peru’s infrastructure has not kept up with the growing coastal population—there is a lack of adequate sewage treatment plants in the area. This lack of infrastructure means that raw sewage is often being pumped directly into coastal waters—contributing directly to coastal degradation. In addition, the Peruvian coast is being polluted by fertilizers and pest control chemicals that are widely used in river flood plains and make their way to the ocean. Furthermore, run-off from mineral mining, a growing industry in Peru, is leeching into some coastal areas.

Climate Change and an Ecosystem on Brink

As overfishing, coastal development, and pollution tax the fragile Peruvian coast, climate change threatens to push the area to the brink of collapse. The coastal area, and the Humboldt Current in particular, is susceptible to the influences of El Niño events, which can cause extreme food shortages for marine life. During these events, the cold north-flowing waters of the Humboldt Current are displaced by warmer waters flowing from the central Pacific. This displacement causes a reduction in phytoplankton, the building block of the Humboldt food chain, creating food shortages across the area.

Climate change has been shown to be one of the primary drivers of an increase in El Niño events, and the presence of an El Niño shift has caused a measurable decrease in the Humboldt penguin population, as well as the population of other marine animals.

Local and Global Solutions

Recognizing the natural and economic importance of its coastal biological diversity, the Peruvian government has committed to establishing reserves to protect its aquatic resources. This commitment has resulted in the imminent official declaration of a national reserve that includes 11 promontories and 16 islands along the Peruvian coast. The government is in the final stages of creating the System of Guano Islands and Peninsulas National Reserve, which will represent a 45 percent increase over existing protected areas.

Despite this historic increase, gaps in protection along the coast will continue to exist. To identify those gaps, The Nature Conservancy and local partners have been coordinating a marine ecological assessment that will identify a final coastal and marine conservation portfolio for the country.

For inspiration, Peru can look northwards up the Pacific Ocean to California, which experienced a collapse in its sardine and anchovy fishery in the 1950s—a collapse that ironically led to the rise of the Peruvian fishery. Through a series of conservation initiatives, California has rejuvenated its coastal biodiversity and diversified its economy, creating ecosystems that benefit both people and nature. With foresight, planning, and protection, Peru can stave off a similar collapse and create a sustainable future.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Alfonso Blanco/TNC (Humboldt Penguin); Photo © Marci Eggers/TNC (Peruvian coast).