Spatio-temporal overlap between purse seine fisheries and Humboldt penguin feeding areas in northern Chile

TL;DR

This study shows Humboldt penguins in Chile overlap with fishing areas in autumn, risking competition for food during breeding season.

Contribution

First empirical evidence of seasonal overlap between Humboldt penguins and purse-seine fisheries in northern Chile.

Findings

Penguins nesting on the eastern side foraged only in coastal waters, while western-nesting penguins foraged both offshore and inshore.

Autumn fishing effort overlapped 60% of penguins' coastal core foraging area, suggesting indirect resource competition.

Spring fishing effort was dispersed and did not overlap with penguin foraging areas.

Abstract

Seabirds face increasing pressure from commercial fisheries through both direct mortality and indirect competition for shared prey resources. In Chile’s Humboldt Current System, artisanal purse-seine fisheries target small pelagic fish species such as anchoveta (Engraulis ringens), which also comprise key components of the Humboldt penguin’s (Spheniscus humboldti) diet. To investigate the potential for spatio-temporal overlap between purse-seine fisheries and penguin foraging areas, we tracked breeding Humboldt penguins from Isla Choros, Coquimbo Region, northern Chile, during the autumn and spring breeding seasons of 2022 using GPS dive loggers. We quantified penguin at-sea distribution and overlap with fishing effort data obtained from purse-seine vessels operating in the Coquimbo Region. Tracking data from 22 penguins revealed a bimodal foraging pattern linked to nest location. Penguins nesting on the eastern, mainland-facing side of Isla Choros foraged exclusively in coastal waters, while western-nesting individuals foraged both offshore and inshore, likely depending on environmental conditions. Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) analysis identified two core foraging zones: one along the mainland coast near Playa de los Choros and another southwest of the island. Purse-seine fishing effort in autumn was concentrated along the coast, overlapping substantially with the coastal foraging zone of the penguins. Nearly 60% of the penguins’ coastal core foraging area overlapped with the 50% KDE of autumn purse-seine activity. In contrast, spring fishing effort was more dispersed and located farther south, with no overlap observed between spring fishing and penguin foraging areas. These findings suggest a high likelihood of indirect resource competition between Humboldt penguins and fisheries during the autumn breeding season—a critical time when penguins are energetically constrained as central place foragers. We provide the first empirical evidence of substantial seasonal overlap between Humboldt penguins and inshore purse-seine fisheries at the Humboldt Archipelago and highlight the need to integrate seabird ecology into fisheries management. To protect vulnerable seabird populations such as the Humboldt penguin, marine spatial planning should consider critical foraging habitats and breeding schedules. Future work should aim to quantify dietary overlap, assess potential sub-lethal effects of prey depletion, and monitor the impact of small-scale, untracked fisheries within key penguin foraging areas.

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